England chase first World Cup final since 1966 vs Argentina
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- England face Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday (20:00 BST) in their first men's World Cup semi-final since 2018, reaching the last four for only the third time since winning the 1966 final — manager Thomas Tuchel said: "We now want to squeeze the last bit out."
- Since 1966, England have lost two World Cup semi-finals (Italia '90 to West Germany, 2018 to Croatia 2-1) and two European Championship finals (2021 on penalties to Italy, 2-1 to Spain in 2024); their Qatar 2022 quarter-final ended with Harry Kane's late penalty miss against France.
- The England-Argentina rivalry spans six iconic moments — the 1966 quarter-final (Antonio Rattin's red card, Alf Ramsey calling Argentina "animals"), Maradona's "Hand of God" in 1986, David Beckham's 1998 sending off for kicking Diego Simeone, and Beckham's 2002 redemption penalty.
- Lionel Messi, 39, has walked 47% of his total distance at this World Cup — the highest share of any outfield player — yet led Argentina's dramatic last-16 comeback from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2; Tuchel called him "just incredible" and "the leader and the key player in any team he plays for."
- England have scored 13 goals at this tournament, with 12 from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane — Marcus Rashford's strike in the 4-2 opening win over Croatia is the only other goal — though Argentina have also lived dangerously, needing late escapes against Cape Verde and Switzerland.
- Antonio Rattin, the Argentina captain sent off at Wembley in 1966, died on July 11 at age 89 — his passing bookends this renewal of the rivalry that began with his dismissal.
Why it matters: England have lost every major men's semi-final or final they've reached since 1966, and beating Argentina would break a 60-year drought by putting them in a World Cup final against Spain, who beat France 2-0 in the other semi. For Tuchel, it would validate his tournament credentials after winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021.
