England are slightly favoured, but Argentina hold a perfect semi-final record at the World Cup.

The classic rivalry between England and Argentina returns to the spotlight as both teams meet in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final at Atlanta Stadium, early Thursday morning WIB. This duel between two global football giants is not only fighting for a ticket to the final, but also extending the long history of competition that has spawned so many iconic moments.

England arrived with high confidence after eliminating Norway 2-1 in extra time. This victory also carried The Three Lions to the semi-finals of a major tournament for the fourth time since 2018.

The main spotlight falls on Jude Bellingham, who continues to demonstrate his world class throughout the tournament. The Real Madrid midfielder scored two goals in his last two 2026 World Cup matches, now collecting six goals - equal with England captain Harry Kane.

The Bellingham and Kane partnership has set a new record. For the first time in World Cup history, one national squad has two players that have each scored at least six goals in the same tournament edition.

On the front line, Kane is on the verge of an individual milestone. If he takes the field against Argentina, the Bayern Munich striker will make his 121st senior appearance for the England national team, becoming the most capped outfield player in the entire history of The Three Lions.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel carries the heavy mission to end England's 60-year wait for World Cup title glory, last achieved back in the 1966 edition.

But they are not facing an ordinary opponent. Argentina arrives as the defending world champions, and hold the unbroken record of always progressing every single time they have reached a World Cup semi-final.

Lionel Scaloni's side have recorded six consecutive wins throughout the 2026 World Cup, standing as the most productive team with 17 total goals. The Albiceleste have also scored exactly three goals in each of their last four matches.

Lionel Messi remains Argentina's playmaking engine. The 39-year-old megastar has collected eight goals, sitting joint top of the golden boot standings alongside Kylian Mbappe. While Messi did not score during their quarter final win over Switzerland, he provided the decisive assist for Alexis Mac Allister.

This contribution makes Messi only the second player since 1966 to record over 10 combined goal contributions across two separate World Cup tournaments, following the record previously set by Mbappe.

The England vs Argentina rivalry has deep roots, from Diego Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal at the 1986 World Cup to the dramatic penalty shootout clash in the 1998 edition. While formal relations between the two nations have improved greatly in modern times, the atmosphere on matchday is guaranteed to remain heated.

In head-to-head records, England hold a slight edge with six wins from 14 meetings against Argentina. However, their most painful defeat remains the 1986 World Cup quarter final, where Maradona scored both of his legendary goals to carry the Albiceleste to a 2-1 victory.

Opta supercomputer projections indicate this will be an extremely tight contest. England hold a 38.2% chance of winning inside 90 minutes, while Argentina have a 32% chance of regular time victory. There is a 29.7% probability the match will extend into extra time.

Though England are narrow favourites to progress to the final with a 51.9% chance compared to Argentina's 48.1%, this clash of two footballing powers is already predicted to deliver one of the most historic matches of the entire 2026 World Cup.