On Wednesday, July 15, the stadium in Atlanta will host one of the most anticipated matches of the World Cup — the semi-final between the national teams of England and Argentina. The winner of this encounter will earn the right to play in the final against the Spanish team. This confrontation is not just a sporting match, but a collision of two football superpowers with a rich and often tense history.

Even Score Before the Decisive Blow

Both teams approach this match with identical statistics: four wins and two draws each. However, their paths to the semi-finals have been different. The England national team, led by Thomas Tuchel, started the tournament on a less confident note, drawing 0-0 with Ghana in the group stage. Nevertheless, victories over Croatia (4-2) and Panama (2-0) allowed the "Three Lions" to advance to the knockout stage.

In the knockout rounds, the English found themselves in difficult situations more than once. A resilient victory over the DRC (2-1) in the Round of 32 was secured thanks to the talent of Harry Kane. In the Round of 16 against Mexico (3-2) and the quarter-final against Norway (2-1), the England team could not celebrate a win in regular time, but ultimately prevailed thanks to the brilliant performance of Jude Bellingham.

"Albiceleste": From a Rollercoaster to Overtimes

The Argentina national team, under the guidance of Lionel Scaloni, started the tournament more confidently, crushing Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0), and Jordan (3-1) in the group stage. However, the "Albiceleste" stalled in the knockout rounds. Victories over Cape Verde (3-2) in the Round of 32 and Switzerland (3-1) in the quarter-final were only achieved in extra time. Even the victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 (3-2) was not easy.

Squads and Coaches' Problems

Both teams approach the match with healthy leaders, but Thomas Tuchel has a serious problem in his squad. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have completed the tournament distance without serious issues. Declan Rice and Marc Guehi are also ready to play. However, the question of the right-back is acute: the suspension of Jarrell Quansah and the injury to Tino Livramento make the appearance of Ezri Konsa almost the only option. Rumors about a possible appearance by Reece James have not yet been confirmed.

The Argentina national team has no serious problems. Lionel Messi is ready to play, as is the powerful midfield (Mac Allister, De Paul, Enzo), goalkeeper Martinez, and Leo's attacking partners (Alvarez and Martinez).

History of the Confrontation

The history of relations between England and Argentina is extremely tense both on the football field and off it. Among the non-football reasons, the 1982 Falklands War should be noted. Football reasons are also significant: the "Match of the Century" at the 1966 World Cup, the "Hand of God" at the 1986 World Cup, as well as scandalous episodes in matches at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

In the history of meetings at World Cups, the advantage lies with the English: four wins for the "Three Lions", one for the "Albiceleste", and one draw. The goal difference is also in favor of England — 11:7.

Words of the Coaches

Thomas Tuchel admitted that he considered the possibility of personal marking against 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, for his part, stated: "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 have them. We will try to neutralize them with our strong qualities and not let them play well".

Where to Watch the Match

In Ukraine, the live broadcast of the match will be shown by the official broadcaster of the tournament — the media service MEGOGO. The start of the match is scheduled for 22:00 Kyiv time. The game can be watched on the "MEGOGO Football First" TV channel. Subscribers of the "Maximum" or "Sport" plans can also watch the game in the special "Sport" section.

The match will be preceded by an analytical studio, the start of which is scheduled for 21:00. The host of the broadcast will be Vitaliy Kravchenko, and the experts invited for this match are Oleksandr Holovko and Roman Bebeh. The confrontation will be commented on by Oleksandr Novak and Vadym Skychko.