Argentina, the defending World Cup champions, advanced to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating England 2-1 in the semifinals on July 16 in New Jersey [1]. The match saw England take an early 1-0 lead before Argentina staged a comeback, with coach Lionel Scaloni comparing their fighting spirit to "sharks sensing blood in the water" during tough moments on the pitch [1].
This victory marks Argentina’s fourth consecutive World Cup semifinal appearance. The team has also recently won three major international titles, including the 2022 World Cup and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024 [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Despite facing criticism over their "ugly" or difficult path through the knockout stage, Scaloni expressed confidence in his squad’s resilience, saying he would have accepted semifinal qualification by any means if told one and a half months ago [2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Argentina had a challenging knockout phase, with several matches extending into extra time, including comebacks against Egypt in the round of 16 after trailing 0-2, and late wins over Cape Verde and Switzerland [2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 6]. Their average opponent FIFA ranking in the first six matches was 38.3, considered easier compared to other semifinalists [6].
The semifinal also marked Lionel Messi’s first official national team match against England in his long career. At 39 years old, Messi leads a squad with some aging players and faces a tough task containing England’s top scorers Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who have combined for 12 of England’s 13 World Cup goals this tournament [2, 3, 4, 5, 7].
Political tensions related to the Falkland Islands resurfaced in the context of the Argentina-England rivalry. Scaloni urged keeping politics out of football, stating, "We love football and oppose war; there is no need to bring historical grudges onto the pitch" [2, 3, 4, 5, 7].
Having triumphed over England, Argentina will meet Spain in the final scheduled for July 20 in New Jersey [1]. Ahead of the semifinal, Scaloni said he was not worried about fatigue after the demanding matches and was preparing the team to face England’s challenge [7].
