England will take the field in their all-white home kit for Wednesday's highly anticipated 2026 World Cup semi-final against Argentina. As the designated home team for the fixture in Atlanta, the Three Lions will continue their standard practice, having worn the home shirt for all matches during the tournament except for their final group stage game against Panama.
Argentina, meanwhile, is expected to wear their dark-blue away kit. According to reports from Argentine journalist Gaston Edu, the national team specifically requested the change. While this request remains unconfirmed by both FIFA and the Argentina Football Association, the shift to the darker strip mirrors historic encounters between the two nations. Argentina famously wore their blue away kit during the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, a match defined by Diego Maradona’s iconic "Hand of God" goal and his legendary solo effort in a 2-1 victory. They also donned the blue jerseys during the 1998 World Cup last-16 clash, where England was eliminated on penalties following a match that saw David Beckham sent off for a kick at Diego Simeone.
The two sides last met in a competitive fixture during the 2002 World Cup group stage, where England won 1-0 while wearing their red away shirt. Their most recent meeting overall was a 2005 international friendly in Switzerland, which England won 3-2 behind a Michael Owen double; Argentina wore their away kit in that encounter as well. Lionel Messi, who was suspended for the 2005 match following a red card on his international debut, is set to make his first-ever appearance against England this Wednesday. Messi currently leads the 2026 World Cup goalscoring charts with eight goals, tied with France’s Kylian Mbappe.
The winner of the England-Argentina match will advance to the final, scheduled for 8pm BST on Sunday, June 19, at New York/New Jersey Stadium. The other semi-final between France and Spain is set for 8pm BST on Tuesday, June 14, at Dallas Stadium.
In other football news, the Premier League has issued a statement explaining why Tottenham were not awarded a penalty for James Maddison against Leeds. The Spurs midfielder was denied a big moment on his return from injury as the Premier League clarified the decision.
Argentina, similarly, have worn their traditional light blue and white striped home shirt in all games, bar their 3-1 group stage win over Jordan.
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