Sports Desk, Daily Agrabarta
The second semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 takes place today, Wednesday, July 15, when defending champions Argentina face England at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kick-off is at 3 p.m. ET, which is 8 p.m. in the UK and 12:30 a.m. Thursday in India. The winner will meet Spain, who sealed their place in Sunday’s final on Tuesday night with a win over France, while the loser goes into Saturday’s third-place playoff against the French in Miami.
Two Teams That Have Made This Far the Hard Way
Neither side has enjoyed a smooth run to the semi-finals. Argentina needed extra time to see off Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-final, a game that stayed level until Breel Embolo’s second-half red card finally tilted the contest in their favour deep into extra time. Before that, Lionel Scaloni’s side had already survived scares against Cape Verde and Egypt in the earlier knockout rounds.
England’s path has been just as fraught. Thomas Tuchel’s side needed a big moment from Harry Kane to get past DR Congo in the round of 32, then ground out a 10-man defensive win over co-hosts Mexico in the round of 16 before edging Norway 2-1 in extra time in the quarter-final, with Jude Bellingham scoring both goals, including the winner just three minutes into extra time.
Messi Against England for the First Time
There is a genuine slice of history on offer today. Despite a career spanning two decades at the highest level, Lionel Messi has never faced England before, at any level, club or country, even though he has scored 27 times against English opposition in club football. At 39, Messi has scored eight goals at this World Cup, though the Switzerland quarter-final was the first match all tournament in which he failed to get on the scoresheet himself, instead setting up Alexis Mac Allister’s opener with a corner delivery.
On the other side, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have both scored six goals apiece this tournament, marking the first time two England players have reached that mark at a single World Cup. Kane, who was also the tournament’s top scorer and a losing semi-finalist with England back in 2018, will be hoping this time brings a different ending.
A Rivalry Renewed After 21 Years
Today’s meeting is the first between England and Argentina at any level in 21 years, and their first at a World Cup since England won 1-0 in the group stage back in 2002, a match remembered for David Beckham’s redemption penalty. The two nations have met five times at World Cups going back to 1962, with England winning on that solitary 2002 occasion among a history that also includes the two countries’ famous, more turbulent meetings in 1986 and 1998.
Argentina arrive as the reigning champions, chasing what would be their fourth consecutive major final following two Copa América titles either side of their 2022 World Cup win in Qatar. England, meanwhile, are seeking just their second World Cup final appearance in history, and their first since they won the tournament on home soil in 1966.
What’s at Stake
The stakes could not be higher. Victory sends either Argentina or England into Sunday’s World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to face Spain, who beat France to reach the showpiece match. Defeat means a trip to Miami for Saturday’s third-place playoff against France instead.
Prediction
Both teams arrive with question marks, England carrying fitness doubts around Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, and Argentina having leaned heavily on late magic to survive the last round. But with Messi finally getting his first taste of facing England, and a World Cup final in sight, expect a cagey, high-stakes affair that may again need the extra half hour to be settled.
