Argentina vs. England has emerged as one of the most highly anticipated matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals. Argentina captain Lionel Messi is finally set to face England for the first time in his professional career, which has spanned more than two decades.
The semifinal between Argentina and England is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 2:00 a.m. WIB at Atlanta Stadium, United States. The clash will not only determine a place in the final but also carry significant historical importance for both nations.
Lionel Messi vs. England Becomes a Historic Match at the 2026 World Cup
“Honestly, this feels very special,” Messi said, as quoted by FIFA’s official website on July 13, 2026.
The match also brings back memories of Argentina’s legendary victory over England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, highlighted by Diego Maradona’s iconic performance.
The last World Cup meeting between the two sides came at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, when England secured a 1-0 victory over Argentina during the group stage.
At the time, Messi was just 15 years old and was developing his talent at FC Barcelona’s youth academy.
“This is a special match because it’s my first time. I’ve played against almost every national team except England,” said the 39-year-old superstar.
Messi also described England as one of the world’s football powerhouses. The Three Lions advanced to the semifinals after defeating Norway 2-1, marking their second semifinal appearance in the last three editions of the FIFA World Cup.
“And as I said, it’s special because they are a great team, one of the world’s football powers. It’s always enjoyable to play against teams like that, in a match of this magnitude, especially in a World Cup semifinal,” said Messi.
The Argentine captain currently leads the 2026 FIFA World Cup scoring chart with eight goals and also holds the record as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 21 goals.
Ahead of the semifinal, Messi emphasized that Argentina is fully committed to defending the World Cup title it won in Qatar in 2022.
“We’ll try to get some rest because we’ve been under tremendous pressure, and it’s starting to take its toll. The entire squad feels it. But we’re in the best condition possible to keep doing what we’ve done all along, which is compete,” he concluded.***
