Key events
Pablo Iglesias Maurer
“This is just a match, OK?” said Maradona. And then he repeated himself several times, just as Scaloni would decades later.
Maradona persisted with that narrative, his teammates remember, until the two teams walked out of the tunnel at Estadio Azteca the next day.
“Diego was walking in line with us,” Argentina defender José Luis Brown recalled before his death in 2019, “and he started raving. He says: ‘Let’s go, yeah? These motherfuckers killed our neighbours, they killed our relatives.’ I understood, obviously … After the anthems, nobody said anything. We hadn’t said anything about that before the game but we’d all been thinking about it. We just went out there and ran.”
Nesrine Malik
I have measured my life in World Cups. The first blurry moments of childhood memory, the passing into adolescence, starting university. Each tournament marks a season of life. Each one is also associated with potent, formative emotional events: Roger Milla dancing around the corner flag when Cameroon became the first African team to reach the quarter-finals in 1990; Roberto Baggio’s devastating goal that knocked out a Nigeria that had been on a thriller streak in 1994; Zinedine Zidane’s tragically ignominious head-butt in 2006 during his last-ever match. But this World Cup has felt different from the start.
In Atlanta, Georgia, these men are about to take the field
England (4-2-3-1) Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
Subs: Trafford, D Henderson, O’Reilly, Konsa, Saka, Rashford, Chalobah, Burn, Mainoo, Watkins, Madueke, Eze, Toney.
Argentina (4-1-3-2) E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico; Paredes; Simeone, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez.
Subs: Musso, Rulli, Senesi, Montiel, Barco, Lo Celso, Palacios, Gonzalez, Almada, De Paul, Paz, Otamendi, Lopez, Lautaro Martinez, Medina.
Referee Ismail Elfath (United States)
Esther Addley
All together now, with arms in the air: One Jude Bellingham, there’s only one Jude Bellingham …
Unless, that is, you happened to find yourself in Shoreditch, east London, on Wednesday, where a dozen young men who looked vaguely like the England midfielder gathered for a lookalike contest almost as competitive as the one currently continuing in the US.
For England football fans who dream of cloning their rampaging match-winner, the event might have offered a glimpse of a fantastical future. Bellingham has scored six goals in as many games in the competition, and another one of him in England’s midfield would surely not go amiss.
The prize for the Jude-iest Jude? Not, this time, a gold trophy of two figures holding the globe, but a Deliveroo voucher to the value of £1,966 – an always-welcome reminder of the six long decades since England last got its hands on the World Cup.
There are dozens of subplots tonight. The race for the Golden Boot is the most important of the least important.
Rob Draper
In all the acrimony, the wars, the deep history going back to the British invasions of 1806 and 1807, the Hand of God and the boot of Beckham, there is also an acknowledgment from those closest to the struggle that England and Argentina make perfect footballing sparring partners.
Described as the only trans-continental derby, a rivalry hewn in politics and history as well as football folklore, most Argentinian footballers’ eyes light up when talk turns to England.
Take Diego Simeone, now the belligerent Atlético Madrid coach, but once the arch nemesis of David Beckham, the man who feigned collapsing to the ground when a foolish flick caught him at the 1998 World Cup, thereby altering the trajectory of that game through Beckham’s red card.
“I love playing against the English,” Simeone told me in 2002 when he and his then-wife, Carolina, hosted me at their sumptuous Rome villa for an interview before that year’s World Cup encounter between the two sides.
“English football is always more open, aggressive and passionate. Whether you win or lose against English teams, you always feel it’s been a proper contest. The first time I played against them was at Wembley in 1991 … ”
At this point, Simeone rolled up his trouser leg and pointed to a scar on his shin. “I’ve still got a souvenir from Stuart Pearce from that day. Great game.”
Matt Hughes
ITV and BBC are planning to screen Fifa’s controversial half-time show in full from Sunday’s final at the New York New Jersey Stadium, but remain in the dark over how long it will last.
The Guardian revealed last month that there were concerns among broadcasters at the length of the half-time spectacle, which has been curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and will feature Madonna, Shakira and the K-pop boyband BTS. They are planning for the interval to last between 25 and 30 minutes.
Both UK rights holders have decided to broadcast the show in full because, with the requirements to set up and remove the stage from the pitch, they anticipate having sufficient time to analyse the game as well.
Ed Aarons
There’s been little sign of any animosity between the two sets of supporters as we approach kickoff in Atlanta, with England and Argentina fans sharing a chat around this magnificent stadium. While those from South America outnumbered their English counterparts on the streets last night, there are plenty of white shirts behind one of the goals and they gave England’s players a massive roar when they came out to warm up earlier. Not long to wait now…
“I’ve spent years reading your live blogs reminiscing about 90s football and Manchester United,” writes Edan Tal. “Now you tell me you don’t like right footers on the right wing?! Maybe Beckham really has been on the telly too much lately.”
I should have said I no longer like right footers on the right wing. I’ve done the work; I’ve grown.
Thanks Niall, hello again. Twenty minutes to kick off; I wonder what this guy is up to.
Time to hand back to Rob Smyth, to take us through whatever awaits in the next 90/120/+ minutes. Enjoy the game, if that’s the word (it probably isn’t) …
Nick Ames
It is both a gift and a curse that Argentina are a team of moments. They have sailed close to the wind in all three knockout games, but can always feel confident somebody will pull a rabbit from the hat. Messi provided those on demand in the group stage before bailing his team out with Egypt scenting victory. Lautaro Martínez stepped up with a beautiful cross for Fernández’s winner in that game.
When Switzerland looked too stubborn, the previously ineffective Alvarez seized the day with a leading contender for goal of the tournament. The concern for England is that Argentina can be drifting through a game, their routes to goal clogged up and rhythm disrupted, only for one of their big names to deliver stunningly. “Ultimately we always find the solutions,” Scaloni said. There are some eventualities that can never completely be planned for.
David Hytner
“A funny quote for you,” Thomas Tuchel says as he prepares to lead England in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday but peeks back at a subject that has attracted a few column inches of late. “You don’t have to be a horse to be a good jockey.”
It is a line made famous by Arrigo Sacchi in 1987 when he was appointed as the manager of Milan despite being a relative unknown and having had no professional playing career. It worked out pretty well for Sacchi, just as it has done for Tuchel, who was forced to hang up his boots as a 24-year-old after a knee injury. He played no higher than the Bundesliga 2 with Stuttgart Kickers and spent time at SSV Ulm, a semi-professional club in the third tier. “I had a mediocre career at best,” Tuchel says.
Jonathan Wilson
On Lionel Messi’s ill-fated international debut in Budapest in 2005, when he was (very harshly) sent off 45 seconds after coming off the bench for swinging an arm at the Hungary defender Vilmos Vanczak, he received only two passes. Both came from Lionel Scaloni. It may not be much, but those two passes were the first contact in a relationship that may culminate in Argentina becoming only the third nation to successfully defend the World Cup.
Messi has spoken of Scaloni as one of the first members of the squad to truly welcome him. After he had scored against Serbia and Montenegro in the World Cup group stage in 2006, when at the age of 18 years and 357 days he became the youngest player to play for Argentina at the tournament, the first player to come up to Messi in the tunnel, grabbing him from behind in a congratulatory hug, was Scaloni. The former West Ham full-back is only nine years Messi’s senior but there has been an almost paternal aspect to their relationship ever since.
What has followed has been a story of implausible success as, after years of frustration, the greatest player of his generation, arguably one of the three greatest ever to play the game, has been coaxed to triumph on the greatest stage by a coach who essentially got the job by mistake.
With kick-off just under an hour away, a last look back at Tuesday’s semi-final. This World Cup had looked like a battle between brilliant individuals until Spain delivered the finest team performance of the tournament against France. Sid Lowe has more:
Niall McVeigh
Thanks Rob, and hello everyone – you’ve obviously heard there’s a football match on. The big surprise in Argentina’s line-up is the inclusion of Giuliano Simeone, a direct right winger and the son of Diego who, of course, has his own place in this rivalry.
This could be a very long night, so I’m going to rest my peepers and hand over to Niall McVeigh for a bit.
Team news
Thomas Tuchel isn’t going to die wondering. He has made three changes to the side that started against Norway, including both full-backs. Reece James, Djed Spence and Morgan Rogers come in for Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly and Noni Madueke.
Argentina make one change from the win over Switzerland, with Giuliano Simeone replacing Rodrigo De Paul in midfield. Simeone’s only tournament appearance to date was in the 3-1 win over Jordan. He’s a more natural wide player than De Paul, so Argentina could play a lopsided system with Mac Allister tucked in on the other side. Like the T-shirt says, tactical symmetry is overrated.
England (4-2-3-1) Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
Subs: Trafford, D Henderson, O’Reilly, Konsa, Saka, Rashford, Chalobah, Burn, Mainoo, Watkins, Madueke, Eze, Toney.
Argentina (4-1-3-2) E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico; Paredes; Simeone, E Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez.
Subs: Musso, Rulli, Senesi, Montiel, Barco, Lo Celso, Palacios, Gonzalez, Almada, De Paul, Paz, Otamendi, Lopez, Lautaro Martinez, Medina.
Referee Ismail Elfath (United States)
Marcela Mora y Araujo
After confirmation that match 102, one of the World Cup semi-finals, would be England v Argentina, the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas conflict was mentioned at Lionel Scaloni’s press conference. “No, no, no,” the Argentina head coach tut-tutted emphatically. “This is just a football match. Let’s not look for other stuff. It’s a football game against a great team, with a great manager who I admire. But it’s a football match. End of.”
The Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul concurred: “We understand it’s a football game that transcends; it brings back memories of what Diego did. We sing songs about our Malvinas heroes, mainly to remember them, but we have to understand that it’s a football match and that the Malvinas have to be discussed elsewhere. What happened was an atrocity and we always remember the fallen, but what we want is to win this match to get to the final.”
Jacob Steinberg
There may more curveballs from Thomas Tuchel, with Djed Spence and Reece James expected to start as the full-backs. If so, that would mean Tuchel has picked a different back four for each of England’s seven World Cup games.
England v Argentina: the Robert Mitchum derby
I love this piece so much that I want to have a messy, century-long break-up with it.
Taha Hashim
For a second there, it felt as if this was going to be a rerun for France of the Human Rights World Cup final. Conceding a penalty at the end of the first quarter and looking lost for most of the game, Les Bleus would eventually click. Kylian Mbappé would lock into PlayStation mode, thundering down the left-hand side before cutting in to erase the two-goal deficit. It would be another game for the ages, going beyond normal time – but Luis de la Fuente’s lads weren’t keen on any drama. In reality, Spain put on a suffocating display of control, even if there was little between the two sides in terms of possession. France, the great entertainers of this Geopolitics World Cup, are off home … though not before a jaunt to Miami for the bronze medal game.
Football Daily feels for Didier Deschamps, who has had to contend with a personal loss away from the game. This was a man who wanted to play his shots on the way out, a teacher wheeling out the TV and snacks on the last day of term for his class. Deschamps did what England supporters used to plead from Gareth Southgate, opting to Take The Handbrake Off. And with it came an exhibition. Michael Olise’s immaculate through ball for Mbappé against Senegal, Ousmane Dembélé cutting in from the right against Norway, their entire display against Sweden. And yet the French end with their worst World Cup finish since 2014. L’Équipe, having turned the telly off and thrown the sweets in the bin, finished marking the homework: twos for Olise, Dembélé and Lucas Digne for their semi-final showing; a three for Mbappé. Brutal.
Andrew Beasley
England’s defenders will face an extreme challenge when they come up against Lionel Messi in their World Cup semi-final. It is not just that he is the greatest player of all time but the almost unique way in which he plays.
The 39-year-old is renowned for ambling around for much of a game, saving his energy for when truly required. It makes him incredibly difficult to defend against. Messi finds pockets of space that appear harmless when the ball is not in his orbit, but he springs to life when an opportunity to produce presents itself.
It helps explain why no player at this tournament has ended their ball carries of at least five metres with as many shots and key passes combined. Messi has delivered 22 such moments through knowing exactly when to step up a gear.
That’s an intriguing decision from Thomas Tuchel. I don’t love right-footers on the right wing but I can see the logic. I suspect Rogers has been picked to play a hybrid role to stop England being overrun in the centre of midfield.
Rogers expected to start semi-final
Jacob Steinberg
We are expecting Morgan Rogers to start on the right for England after his fine cameo against Norway. I think it’s a good move from Thomas Tuchel. England are carrying some weary bodies but Rogers should give them an injection of energy and is tactically smart.
Argentina’s route to the semi-final
Group J Algeria 3-0, Austria 2-0, Jordan 3-1
Last 32 Cape Verde 3-2 (AET)
Last 16 Egypt 3-2
Quarter-final Switzerland 3-1 (AET)
Life moves pretty fast, and we forget the games that never were. So let’s take a beat and recallthat England were a hair’s breadth from playing the holders Argentina in the final of Italia 90.
Imagine the hype before that game, given it was only four years after football’s most infamous injustice: Terry Fenwick playing the full 90 minutes against Argentina when he should have been sent off at least four times the Hand of God.
This interview with Bobby Robson ahead of the semi-final against West Germany is one for lovers of nostalgic poignancy.
England’s route to the semi-final
Group L Croatia 4-2, Ghana 0-0, Panama 2-0
Last 32 DR Congo 2-1
Last 16 Mexico 3-2
Quarter-final Norway 2-1 (AET)
David Hytner
Thomas Tuchel believes England will face an Argentina team “fuelled by history” in their World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday. It will be the sixth time that the nations have met at the tournament with the previous three coming after the Falklands war of 1982.
The most controversial game was in the 1986 quarter-finals when Diego Maradona scored his “Hand of God” goal and Argentina won 2-1 en route to the title. Argentina triumphed on penalties in the last 16 in 1998 when David Beckham was sent off. Beckham gained a measure of revenge four years later when he scored from the penalty spot for a 1-0 group-stage victory. England won 3-1 at the group phase in 1962 and 1-0 in the quarter-finals in 1966, when they went on to become champions.
“I saw somewhere on the internet the incredibly valid point that this England team aren’t actually scarred with memories of bad days against Argentina,” writes Eddy Nason. “Even old man Jordan Henderson was -4 years old for the Hand of God. Us oldie fans however…”
Yeah, I don’t think that particular scarring – lived or historical – is a problem in the way it is for, say, England cricketers when they go to Australia. The more relevant scarring comes from the semi-final and final defeats in the last eight years and the historical reality that England usually go out to the first really big team they face. I’m 99.94% sure that the only time England have beaten a higher-ranked team in a knockout game was the quarter-final against Spain at Euro 96, and they should have lost that game.
Barney Ronay
Wednesday night, Atlanta Stadium, 101 games down, three left to play, and finally it makes sense. Bring on The Countdown, that moment just before kick-off in every one of those quietly fascinating World Cup matches where suddenly the world’s most excited man is bellowing over the PA system in a state of outraged, crowing transport, like the last voice you’ll ever hear before the American century explodes in a ball of inanity, fried chicken and porn.
“NAYYYN!! EEEIGHYYT!! SEEEVEERRN!! …” the world’s most excited man shouts, prelude to some cautious rolling possession, maybe an early back-pass, and an agreeable reminder that the game itself will not be stage managed. You want quiet bathos? This World Cup will deliver the greatest goddam quiet bathos the galaxy has ever seen.
Except, not this time. Send for the excited man. Fire up The Countdown. A World Cup that has been undeniably gripping on the field of play finally has an occasion so layered and so luminous that, frankly, countdown guy feels about right, even a little understated.
England versus Argentina for a place in the World Cup final. Is this the biggest game international football can throw up? Argentina-Brazil has more majesty. Germany and the Netherlands is always good. Spain-France is the state of the art when is comes to talent and quality, if not quite depth of feeling in the football sphere.
But for energy, ghosts, weight, the iconography of colours and shapes, this is right up there, an event that feels less like a football match and more like a weather front about to break, a cultural throb, a gravity pulse.
Squint a little and it feels as though the whole World Cup has been a countdown to this point for England and Argentina, a sense of dramatic inevitability even before you get on to the online conspiracy theories (which are also having a moment right now).
Preamble
There’s been so much hype about this match that it’s important we put it in perspective. It is, after all, only the biggest game ever played in football’s greatest cross-continent rivalry.
The history of England v Argentina could already fill a Netflix three-parter, albeit without the chill. It includes the Hand of God in 1986, the Hand of Plod in 1966 and the Hand of Hod a multi-faceted epic in 1998 – but this is the first time they’ve met in the semi-final or the final of a World Cup. For both countries, defeat is so unthinkable that it hurts trying not to think about it.
In movie-poster terms, this is mentality monsters v mentality monsters. England and Argentina have wheezed into the semi-finals, relying on collective defiance, individual brilliance and a team spirit that even Steve Archibald might grudgingly acknowledge. Given the stakes and the in-built intensity of this fixture, it’s hard to see that changing today. Great performances can wait until 2030.
The unspoken fear for both teams is that this is effectively a second-place playoff. Spain will be strong favourites in the final after taking care of France with an authority and synergy that gave some of us a sheen of smugness. But disbelief is easily suspended when you are this close to glory, and right now millions of England and Argentina supporters just want the chance to worry about potential death by tiki-taka.
In a few hours’ time, one of these statements will be true.
England are in their first men’s World Cup final since 1966.
Argentina are one game away from becoming the first team to retain the men’s World Cup since Brazil in 1962.
The other one? It happens only in dreams.
Kick off 8pm BST/3pm EST/5am AEST
