England, Argentina renew World Cup feud in semifinal in Atlanta
What's next: The winner of Wednesday's Match 102 reaches the 2026 World Cup final, with Lionel Messi set to face England for the first time.
England and Argentina meet Wednesday in Atlanta for a place in the 2026 World Cup final, reviving one of football's most loaded rivalries. The semifinal brings together the defending champions and an England side trying to end a 60-year wait for a men's World Cup title. The matchup carries decades of baggage from five previous World Cup meetings, including England's 1966 quarterfinal win, Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal and solo strike in 1986, and David Beckham's red card in 1998. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul both urged that the latest meeting be treated as a football match, not an extension of the Falklands/Malvinas conflict.