Argentina and England, the most anticipated duel of the World Cup

A classic with everything at stake

Argentina and England face each other this Wednesday at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The winner will get the last ticket to the grand final of the 2026 World Cup.

How both teams arrive

The Argentine team advanced after beating Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland. All their games were decided in the last minutes or in extra time. La Scaloneta has shown resistance, but also suffering.

England, led by Thomas Tuchel, did not have an easy road. The Three Lions are the team that has traveled the most kilometers in the tournament. They beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico at the Azteca Stadium and Norway in Miami. Tiredness will be a key factor.

Schedule and live broadcast

The match will be played on Wednesday, July 15 at 1:00 p.m. (Central Mexico time). It will be broadcast on open television on Channel 5 and Azteca 7, in addition to TUDN and ViX Premium.

The venue will be Atlanta Stadium. A full house is expected to witness this chapter of a historic rivalry that evokes memorable encounters in previous World Cups.

The team that makes the fewest mistakes and shows the greatest physical freshness will be the one that seals its place in the final.

Start of Apertura 2026

The Caliente Stadium will be the scene of the first duel of the season. Xolos de Tijuana and Tigres de la UANL face each other this Thursday on Matchday 1. Both teams seek to return to the top of Mexican soccer.

Reinforcements for the campaign

Xolos opted for Venezuelan striker Josef Martínez to strengthen their attack. He also got midfielder Kevin Balanta back. Gilberto Mora, a young promise, renewed his contract for three more years.

Tigres, for its part, added Argentine defender Alan Franco, although he will not be available yet. The board continues negotiating with River Plate for the transfer of Ángel Correa, without a definitive agreement.

Contrasted preseason

Sebastián Abreu’s team drew 2-2 against the El Salvador National Team and lost 1-0 against LAFC of the MLS.

Tigres, led by Guido Pizarro, achieved a victory (2-0) over Santiago FC, a draw (2-2) with San Diego FC and a defeat (2-0) against Cartaginés of Costa Rica.

Leaves and absences

In the feline squad, Juan Pablo Vigón and Marco Farfán are suffering from muscle discomfort. Francisco Reyes is serving a sanction for expulsion in the previous tournament.

Favorable history for Tigres

Of 33 confrontations, Tigres has 19 victories. However, Xolos has won three of the last four home games.

The match is scheduled for 9:10 p.m., central Mexico time.

The pulse between Messi and Bellingham

The World Cup semi-final between Argentina and England has a duel that attracts all eyes: Lionel Messi against Jude Bellingham. The 39-year-old Argentine and the 23-year-old Englishman are the pillars of their teams.

Messi is playing in his sixth World Cup. He has eight goals and two assists. He is the all-time leading scorer in the World Cup with 21 conquests. Bellingham is playing in its second World Cup and its fourth major tournament with England.

Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni hopes his team recovers good football. “They have to respond to us and they have plenty of desire. We have to get back to playing football, playing ball,” he declared at a press conference. “We need the players who led us to play great football.”

English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford anticipates the duel: “We all know Messi’s excellence, although we also know Argentina’s excellence. He has scored many goals. It’s great to finally be able to face Messi after having seen him play since I was a child.”

England coach Thomas Tuchel also praised the Argentine captain: “There are truly no words to describe what he has shown time and time again throughout this tournament. He is a true leader and is the key player in every team he plays in.”

This will be the sixth time that Argentina and England meet in a World Cup. The record favors the English with three victories. The last was in 2002, a 1-0 that eliminated Argentina in the group stage.

Argentina will wear its blue away jersey. With that kit he had positive results in the 1986 and 1998 World Cups, when he won on penalties after David Beckham was sent off.

The game is played Wednesday in Atlanta. Messi will face England for the first time in his career. Bellingham, for its part, seeks to establish itself as the new talisman of the Three Lions.