World Cup 2026 July 15 preview: England and Argentina renew blood rivalry

Shafaq News- Atlanta

England and defending champions Argentina meet in the second 2026 World Cup semifinal on Wednesday, renewing one of the tournament’s most historic rivalries with a place against Spain in the final at stake.

Kickoff at Atlanta Stadium is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. Baghdad time. The winner will advance to Sunday’s final, while the loser will face France in the third-place playoff.

England are seeking their first World Cup final since winning the title on home soil in 1966. Thomas Tuchel’s side reached the last four with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway, led by two goals from Jude Bellingham.

Argentina, meanwhile, are pursuing a second consecutive final and the first successful World Cup title defence since Brazil retained the trophy in 1962. Lionel Scaloni’s team defeated Switzerland 3-1 after extra time, with Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scoring the decisive late goals.

The semifinal will also mark Lionel Messi’s first appearance against England. The 39-year-old has faced most of international football’s leading nations across six World Cups but has never played the Three Lions.

England and Argentina have met five times at the World Cup, with England winning three and Argentina two. But their rivalry intensified in the 1966 quarterfinal at Wembley, when Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was dismissed during England’s 1-0 victory and initially refused to leave the pitch.

The most famous meeting followed in Mexico in 1986. Diego Maradona opened the scoring by using his hand to beat England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, producing the goal later known as the “Hand of God.”

Four minutes later, Maradona collected the ball inside his own half, passed several England players, rounded Shilton, and completed the strike later voted the World Cup’s Goal of the Century. Argentina won 2-1 and went on to lift the trophy.

The countries met once again in the 1998 round of 16, when Argentina advanced on penalties after a 2-2 draw. David Beckham was sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone, becoming the central figure in England’s elimination.

Beckham answered four years later by converting the penalty that gave England a 1-0 victory at the 2002 World Cup, their most recent tournament meeting.

Wednesday’s semifinal places that history beside a new generation. Bellingham and Harry Kane carry England’s scoring threat, while Argentina rely on Messi, Alvarez, Martinez, and Alexis Mac Allister.

Spain and England: From 1950 to Euro 2024

A Spain-England final would revive a rivalry shaped more by European competition than the World Cup.

The countries have met twice at the tournament. Spain won their first encounter 1-0 during the final group stage of the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, a result that eliminated England from contention.

Their second World Cup meeting came in Spain in 1982. The match ended 0-0 during the second group phase, leaving England unbeaten but eliminated after failing to score the victory required to advance.

More recent encounters have carried greater consequences. England defeated Spain 3-2 in Seville during the 2018 Nations League, scoring three times in the first half before surviving a Spanish response.

Spain later eliminated England on penalties in the Euro 1996 quarterfinal at Wembley after a goalless draw, while England defeated La Roja in a Nations League meeting two decades later.

But their defining modern contest came in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin. Nico Williams put Spain ahead, Cole Palmer equalized for England, and Mikel Oyarzabal scored the late winner in a 2-1 victory that delivered Spain’s fourth European title.

A World Cup final between them would therefore give England an immediate chance to answer their Euro 2024 defeat, while Spain would seek a second major-final victory over the same generation in two years.

Spain and Argentina: A Rare Rivalry

A Spain-Argentina final, on the other hand, would bring together the reigning European and South American champions in their first competitive meeting for six decades.

Their only previous World Cup match came during the 1966 group stage, when Argentina won 2-1 at Villa Park.

The countries have met more frequently in friendlies, producing several notable results.

Argentina defeated Spain 4-1 in Buenos Aires in 2010, only weeks after La Roja won their first World Cup title.

Spain produced the heaviest result in the rivalry eight years later, winning 6-1 in Madrid. Isco scored a hat-trick, while an injured Messi watched from the stands.

The teams were due to meet in the Finalissima as champions of Europe and South America, but the fixture was cancelled.

A World Cup final would replace that missed meeting with a larger prize –Spain would be chasing their second title after 2010, and Argentina would be seeking a fourth crown and the first successful defence of the trophy in 64 years.

Before either final becomes reality, England and Argentina must settle another chapter of a rivalry defined by Rattin, Maradona, Beckham, penalties, controversy, and redemption.