England stand one victory away from ending six decades of frustration when they face Argentina in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final in Atlanta.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have reached the final four after another dramatic tournament run, but this is the moment by which their campaign will ultimately be judged. England have come close before, losing two European Championship finals and falling at the semi-final stage of the 2018 World Cup, yet they have not appeared in a men’s World Cup final since lifting the trophy at Wembley in 1966.
The scale of the occasion was clear at Tuchel’s pre-match press conference, where demand was so high that organisers moved proceedings to a larger room and still could not accommodate everyone with a seat.
For England, this is more than another knockout match. It is an opportunity to transform a generation remembered for near misses into one that finally delivered on the greatest stage.
Another chance to escape the nearly-men label
England’s recent tournament record is stronger than that of almost any period in the country’s history, but it remains incomplete. The 2018 World Cup marked an unexpected breakthrough, only for Gareth Southgate’s side to retreat after Kieran Trippier’s early goal against Croatia and eventually lose in extra time.
Three years later, England again struck first in a major semi-final or final, with Luke Shaw scoring inside two minutes against Italy at Wembley. Once more, the initiative was surrendered, and the European Championship ended in defeat on penalties.
The quarter-final loss to France at the 2022 World Cup felt different. England competed well against elite opposition but were ultimately edged out, with Harry Kane’s late missed penalty deepening the disappointment.
Euro 2024 then delivered another run to the final, although England never truly found their rhythm and were beaten by Spain in Berlin. Tuchel believes the time has come for this group to move beyond respectable runs and turn progress into silverware.
“We now want to squeeze the last bit out. We want to take the next step,” the England manager said.
“I really like the energy in our camp. The players are very excited, very ambitious. That’s exactly what we need for this game.”
Rivalry carries decades of baggage
England’s meeting with Argentina brings a different level of intensity from their previous World Cup semi-finals against West Germany and Croatia. The rivalry has been shaped by controversy, politics and several of the tournament’s most famous moments.
Their 1966 quarter-final at Wembley descended into acrimony after Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was sent off. His dismissal led to a prolonged dispute on the pitch, and the ill feeling continued after Geoff Hurst scored England’s winner.
Twenty years later, the countries met again at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Diego Maradona scored both goals in Argentina’s 2-1 victory, one with the infamous “Hand of God” and the other with one of the greatest individual efforts in World Cup history.
The 1998 last-16 encounter produced another enduring image when David Beckham was dismissed after reacting to Diego Simeone. Michael Owen scored a brilliant goal, but Argentina advanced on penalties.
England gained a measure of revenge in 2002, when Beckham converted the decisive penalty in a group-stage victory in Sapporo. Tuchel accepts that the weight of those meetings cannot simply be dismissed.
“It is a very big rivalry between two big footballing nations,” he said.
“I could say the history is irrelevant, but I’m not sure. The players are aware of it. When a fixture provides so many iconic moments, you can’t say it is just another football match.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni offered a similar view.
“We all have stories from that past time and history, and it all makes it very emotional,” he said.
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AdvertisementMessi remains Argentina’s emotional centre
England’s greatest concern remains Lionel Messi. At 39, the Argentina captain no longer covers the ground he once did, but his influence has not diminished. Nearly half of the distance he has travelled at this tournament has been at walking pace, yet he continues to dictate matches through positioning, awareness and moments of technical brilliance.
Messi has already achieved the one prize that eluded him for so long, leading Argentina to the trophy in Qatar four years ago. His reaction during the comeback against Egypt showed that the desire to retain it remains undiminished.
Argentina trailed 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining in that last-16 tie before scoring three times to survive, with Messi visibly overcome by the escape. Tuchel was unequivocal when discussing the player England must contain.
“Messi is just incredible. There are no words left for his kind of achievement, with the quality and leadership he shows,” he said.
“He’s the leader and the key player in any team he plays for, and he is in this Argentina team.”
Kane and Bellingham carrying England’s attack
England have their own elite match-winners in Kane and Jude Bellingham.
Tuchel’s side have scored 13 goals at the tournament, with 12 of them coming from the captain and the Real Madrid midfielder. Marcus Rashford is the only other England player to have found the net.
That concentration of goals underlines both England’s reliance on their two leading figures and the outstanding form they have carried into the semi-final.
Kane has repeatedly delivered in decisive moments, while Bellingham’s influence has grown as the tournament has progressed. His goals against Mexico and Norway were central to England’s journey through the knockout rounds.
The concern is that Argentina will attempt to isolate both players and force England’s supporting attackers to prove they can decide the match.
Tuchel, however, has built a reputation around knockout football. His Champions League triumph with Chelsea in 2021 demonstrated his ability to prepare teams for one-off encounters against the strongest opposition. England may need every part of that expertise in Atlanta.
One match from immortality
Neither semi-finalist has reached this stage without alarm. England survived difficult moments against DR Congo, Mexico and Norway, while Argentina were pushed to the limit by Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland.
Both teams have lived dangerously. Both have repeatedly escaped. Wednesday will determine which side has one final recovery left in them and which must live with another painful near miss.
For England, victory would surpass anything the men’s national team has achieved since 1966 and create the chance to complete the journey against Spain in Sunday’s final. After years of progress without a trophy, the opportunity is no longer distant. It is one match away.