England have another chance to shake off their “nearly men” reputation when they face Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semi-final, with a place in their first final since 1966 at stake.
The clash in Atlanta is England’s biggest men’s international fixture in six decades. Victory would send Thomas Tuchel’s side into Sunday’s final against Spain and move them one step closer to ending a 60-year wait for World Cup glory.
Despite becoming regular contenders at major tournaments, England have repeatedly fallen just short. They reached the 2018 World Cup semi-final before losing to Croatia, suffered heartbreaking defeats to Italy in the Euro 2020 final and Spain in the Euro 2024 final, while France ended their 2022 World Cup campaign in the quarter-finals.
Now, Tuchel believes his players are ready to take the final step.
“We want to squeeze the last bit out. We want to take the next step,” the England manager said. “The players are very excited and ambitious. That’s exactly what we need for this game.”
The semi-final also revives one of football’s fiercest rivalries. England and Argentina have shared decades of dramatic World Cup encounters, from the heated 1966 quarter-final and Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal in 1986 to David Beckham’s red card in the 1998 meeting and his redemption with the winning penalty in 2002.
Tuchel acknowledged the weight of that history.
“It is a very big rivalry between two great footballing nations. When a fixture has produced so many iconic moments, you can’t say it’s just another football match,” he said.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni agreed, describing the occasion as emotional because of the long history between both countries.
England will also have to contend with Lionel Messi, who, at 39, remains Argentina’s talisman. Although the veteran forward has conserved energy throughout the tournament, his influence has been decisive, inspiring Argentina’s dramatic comeback victory over Egypt in the round of 16.
Tuchel described Messi as “incredible,” praising his leadership and match-winning quality.
England, however, possess stars capable of matching Argentina. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have been central to the Three Lions’ run, accounting for 12 of the team’s 13 goals at the tournament. Marcus Rashford is the only other England player to score.
Both teams have survived difficult moments on their road to the last four, but only one can advance to the final.
For England, the stakes extend beyond reaching another major final. A victory over Argentina would finally silence years of near misses and offer the Three Lions a chance to end their long wait for football’s biggest prize.
