--- title: "England vs Argentina: Tuchel vs Scaloni, Messi vs Kane — who will reach the 2026 World Cup final?" description: "🔥 England vs Argentina — 2026 World Cup semi-final in Atlanta! Tuchel vs Scaloni, Messi vs Kane. Who will reach the final against Spain? 🇬🇧🆚🇦🇷 #WC2026 #EnglandArgentina" date: 2026-07-15T09:52:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/england-vs-argentina-2026-world-cup-semi-final-tuchel-vs-scaloni-messi-vs-kane tags: [england, argentina, messi, kane, fifa-world-cup-2026] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # England vs Argentina: Tuchel vs Scaloni, Messi vs Kane — who will reach the 2026 World Cup final? ![England national team players in white kits on the pitch before the 2026 World Cup match against Argentina](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/15/angliya-protiv-argentiny-polufinal-chm-2026-tukhel-protiv-skalonni-messi-protiv-keyna/angliya-protiv-argentiny-polufinal-chm-2026-tukhel-protiv-skalonni-messi-protiv-keyna-1.webp) On Wednesday, July 15, one of the most anticipated matches of the World Cup will take place at the stadium in Atlanta — the semi-final clash between the national teams of England and Argentina. The winner of this encounter will earn the right to play in the final against Spain. This confrontation between two great footballing powers promises to be not only a sporting event but also an emotional one, with deep historical context. ### Equal chances ahead of the decisive match Both teams approach the game with identical statistics: four wins and two draws. England, under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel, started the tournament with a draw against Ghana (0:0), but then convincingly defeated Croatia (4:2) and Panama (2:0). In the knockout stages, the English did not always look flawless: Harry Kane secured the victory over DR Congo (2:1) in the Round of 32, while Jude Bellingham played a decisive role in the Round of 16 against Mexico (3:2) and the quarter-final against Norway (2:1). Argentina, led by Lionel Scaloni, completed the group stage without defeat — victories over Algeria (3:0), Austria (2:0), and Jordan (3:1). However, the 'albiceleste' faced difficulties in the knockout stages: victories over Cape Verde (3:2), Egypt (3:2), and Switzerland (3:1) were all achieved only in extra time. ### Squads and team issues For England, key players Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are healthy and ready for the match. Declan Rice and Marc Guehi have also overcome their issues. However, Thomas Tuchel has a serious problem on the right flank: the suspension of Jarrell Quansah and the injury to Tino Livramento make the appearance of Ezri Konsa almost inevitable. Rumors about a possible participation of Reece James remain unconfirmed. Argentina, on the other hand, approaches the match with a nearly full squad. Lionel Messi is ready to play, as is the powerful trio in midfield — Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, and Enzo Fernández. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, as well as Messi's attacking partners — Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez — are also fully ready. ### History of the rivalry: from the Falklands War to the 'Hand of God' Relations between England and Argentina are tense not only on the football pitch. The Falklands War of 1982 remains one of the most painful episodes in the history of both nations. On the football field, scandals were also not absent: the 'Match of the Century' at the 1966 World Cup, Messi's 'Hand of God' in 1986, as well as controversial episodes at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. In total, the teams have met six times at World Cups: England won four times, Argentina once, and one match ended in a draw. The goal difference is 11:7 in favor of the English. ### What the coaches say Thomas Tuchel admitted that he considered the possibility of personal marking against Lionel Messi: 'I thought about whether to apply old-fashioned personal marking against Messi. I'm not sure we will actually do it, but the thought crossed my mind... If you analyze the matches, he sees the development of episodes faster than others. It is a unique experience to play against the reigning world champions and Lionel Messi. This is a big match of a big tournament'. Lionel Scaloni, in turn, noted: 'We are analyzing how to improve the team and how to try to neutralize the strong players of the opponent. We may make changes, but we could field the same lineup. Bellingham and Kane are among the best in the world; any coach would want to see them on their team. We will try to neutralize them with our strong qualities and not let them play well'. ### Where and when to watch the match In Ukraine, the live broadcast of the semi-final will be shown by the media service MEGOGO — the official broadcaster of the tournament. The match is scheduled to start at 22:00 Kyiv time. The game can be watched on the 'MEGOGO Football First' channel, as well as in the special 'Sports' section for subscribers with 'Maximum' or 'Sports' subscriptions. Preceding the match is an analytical studio, starting at 21:00. The host of the broadcast is Vitaliy Kravchenko, experts are Oleksandr Holovko and Roman Bebekh. The game will be commented on by Oleksandr Novak and Vadym Skychko. Earlier, the national teams of Spain and France determined the first finalist of the World Cup, and Kylian Mbappé set a new record. Now all attention is focused on Atlanta, where the fate of the second finalist will be decided.