England vs Argentina, World Cup 2026 Semi-final

Updated July 2026

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The second semi-final is the heavyweight grudge tie: England against Argentina, their first World Cup meeting since 2002 and a fixture that carries 1986 and 1998 with it. England chase a first final since 1966; Argentina bid to become only the third nation to defend a World Cup. Books rate it the closer of the two semis. Kick-off is 07:00 NZT Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.

Renewing a charged rivalry: England and Argentina meet at a World Cup for the first time since 2002.

Tale of the tape

	England	Argentina
Form (last 5)	W-W-W-W-D	W-W-W-W-W
Route	QF 2–1 (aet) Norway · R16 3–2 Mexico	QF 3–1 (aet) Switzerland
Goals for	Kane & Bellingham 6 each	tournament-high 17 GF
Outright odds	4.10–4.40	4.60–5.50
Coach	Thomas Tuchel	Lionel Scaloni
Missing	Quansah (suspended), Henderson (out)	—

Outright odds (decimal), FanDuel via FOX / DraftKings via SI, 13 July ~14:15 ET → 14 July AM.

The 1X2

Selection	Decimal odds
England win	2.55–2.65
Draw	2.90–3.00
Argentina win	3.00–3.05

FanDuel via SI / DraftKings, as of 12 July ET — the freshest SF2 line located; recorded as ranges. Compare live prices before betting.

Head-to-head — a rivalry renewed

All-time

14 meetings — England 6 wins, Argentina 3, five draws. (Sports Mole; ESPN.)

At a World Cup

Five WC meetings: England 3 wins, Argentina 1, one draw (Argentina won on penalties in 1998). Last meeting: 2002, England 1–0 (Beckham penalty). (The Ringer; ESPN.)

The backstory

1986 (Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ and Goal of the Century) and 1998 (Beckham’s red card, England out on penalties) still shadow the fixture. (FOX; ITV.)

Key battles

Kane & Bellingham vs Messi England’s two six-goal men against a Messi who is level at the top of the scoring chart on 8 and has scored or assisted in every knockout game.

England’s spine without Quansah The suspended defender misses out; Stones is expected alongside Guéhi, with Rice back from illness.

Two extra-time ties in Argentina’s legs Argentina have gone the distance twice in the knockouts — fresh legs could tell late.

Team news

England: Jarell Quansah is suspended (final match of a two-match ban) and Jordan Henderson is out after wrist surgery. Declan Rice is expected to return from illness; Reece James is a fitness doubt. The XI is firming a day out.
Argentina: Messi starts after a minor eye knock; Cristian Romero is expected to start. No suspensions — Montiel’s booking was wiped after the quarter-finals.

Sources: Sports Mole; Al Jazeera; ESPN (11–14 Jul 2026). England’s SF2 XI is 24 hours out — re-check on match-day morning.

What’s at stake

England seek a first World Cup final since 1966.
Argentina bid to become only the third nation to defend the World Cup, after Italy (1934–38) and Brazil (1958–62).
A charged rivalry, first renewed at a World Cup since 2002.
Books rate this the tighter semi-final — lines cluster around 2.55–3.05.

"If we are talking about a formula, it’s pretty simple: Put Harry and Jude together, they will do the rest." — Thomas Tuchel (England coach), Yahoo Sports, 13 July 2026.

"Now we’re going for everything we can, right to the end, with every last ounce of strength and every last drop of sweat." — Lionel Scaloni (Argentina coach), Buenos Aires Times, 12 July 2026.

The Kiwi angle

Another 07:00 NZT breakfast kick-off — and the more open of the two semis on the numbers. With barely anything between the sides in the 1X2, the draw (2.90–3.00) and the double-chance markets carry real appeal for punters who expect a tight, tense contest.

For the round-wide read see the semi-finals preview and the final-four outright odds. Team pages: England · Argentina.

Where to bet (NZ): compare the England vs Argentina 1X2 and double-chance markets in NZD at Boomerang Bet, ZotaBet or BillyBets — decimal odds, 18+.

Gamble responsibly. 18+. See NZ betting law and set a limit.

When is England vs Argentina in New Zealand?

07:00 NZT, Thursday 16 July 2026 (15:00 ET Wednesday 15 July) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.

When did England and Argentina last meet at a World Cup?

In 2002 — England won 1–0 through a David Beckham penalty. This is their first World Cup meeting since.

Who is favourite?

It is close. England are marginal favourites at 2.55–2.65, with Argentina at 3.00–3.05 and the draw around 2.90–3.00 — the tightest of the two semi-finals.

Is England missing anyone?

Yes — Jarell Quansah is suspended and Jordan Henderson is out after wrist surgery. Declan Rice is expected back from illness; Reece James is a fitness doubt.