England Faces Argentina in World Cup Semifinal Billed as Biggest Match Since 1966

Historic rivals meet again with a final berth and decades of history on the line

England met Argentina on Wednesday in a World Cup semifinal that BBC Sport described as the Three Lions' biggest match since their 1966 title run, reviving a rivalry that has produced some of the tournament's most unforgettable moments since Diego Maradona's dominant performance against England in 1986.

The fixture carries decades of weight. England has faced Argentina in the World Cup in 1986, 1998 and 2002, with the 1998 meeting remembered for David Batty's missed penalty and the 2002 match remembered for David Beckham's redemption. Former England striker Alan Shearer said the pain of the 1998 defeat still lingers but believes this England team has the chance to write a different ending.

Argentina enters as the reigning champion, and England defender Marc Guehi said the pressure sits with the holders rather than his own side. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said before the match that he did not intend to mix football with politics.

Much of the buildup centered on England midfielder Jude Bellingham, whom former England striker Wayne Rooney called the best player of the tournament so far. On the Argentine side, Lionel Messi has continued his prolific tournament form, part of a run that has taken him from six career World Cup goals across four tournaments through 2018 to 15 across the 2022 and 2026 editions combined, with Scaloni credited with building a squad system around him.

The winner advances to Sunday's final to face Spain, which beat France 2-0 in Tuesday's semifinal.

— Compiled from reporting by BBC Sport and ESPN.