You cannot look at this fixture without confronting the ghosts of the past. From the geopolitical tensions of the Falklands to Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ in 1986, the animosity is baked into the DNA of this matchup.
Then came Diego Simeone getting David Beckham sent off at France '98, followed by Golden Balls bagging his redemption penalty four years later. Even if the pair were spotted smiling together in the stands in Miami earlier in this tournament, there is absolutely zero love lost on the pitch.
Thomas Tuchel's side are bidding to reach a World Cup final on foreign soil for the very first time in their history, looking to end a 60-year wait for a major trophy. To get there, they have to navigate past the reigning world champions.
Argentina are an absolute juggernaut at this stage of the competition. La Albiceleste boast a flawless historical record in World Cup semi-finals, progressing to the showpiece match on all five of their previous appearances.
Team News and Lineups
England
Thomas Tuchel's right-back problems rumble on following the chaotic victory over Norway. Jarell Quansah remains suspended, and with injury-prone Reece James struggling to stay fit, either Djed Spence or Ezri Konsa will have to fill the void alongside John Stones and Marc Guéhi.
In midfield, Declan Rice is expected to start after battling through a sickness bug in Miami, but Jordan Henderson's tournament is over after undergoing surgery for a wrist injury.
Up front, Harry Kane is set to earn his 121st cap, surpassing Wayne Rooney for the most appearances by an English outfield player.
- England Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O'Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Argentina
Lionel Scaloni faces a welcome headache in attack. Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martínez both found the net in extra time against Switzerland, leaving them in a straight shootout to partner Lionel Messi.
In midfield, Leandro Paredes offers crucial defensive cover, although Thiago Almada impressed off the bench in the quarter-final.
The defending champions have a fully fit squad to choose from as they look to extend their 13-match winning streak.
- Argentina Predicted Lineup (4-4-2): E. Martínez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez
England vs Argentina preview
Both nations have stuttered their way to the final four, and looking back at their routes, it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for either camp.
England arrived in the knockouts on the back of an uneven group campaign, before scraping past a plucky DR Congo and digging deep for that magical 3-2 night against co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca. Most recently, they rode their luck against Norway, relying heavily on Jude Bellingham's individual brilliance and an Orjan Nyland error to scrape through in the sweltering Miami heat.
Tuchel’s substitutions during that quarter-final seemed confused, with Reece James spending time in midfield, and his side noticeably struggled once Norway deployed a higher press after the drinks break. If they switch off like that against the world champions, they will be severely punished.
Argentina have also looked incredibly vulnerable getting here. They had to extricate themselves from a sticky situation against World Cup debutants Cape Verde in the first knockout round, before surviving a monumental scare against Egypt in the last 16 where they trailed 2-0 with just 11 minutes left. They then needed extra time to break down a stubborn 10-man Swiss side, eventually bailed out by Alvarez's moment of magic.
Scaloni's men have been lethal going forward, plundering 17 goals at this tournament - just one shy of their record set in 1930. Lionel Messi has notched eight of those, but his creative output is the real danger.
The 39-year-old boasts a tournament-high 3.4 expected assists, and his vision will severely test an England defence that has managed just two clean sheets in their last seven World Cup outings.
With Bellingham attempting 10 dribbles against Norway, the most by an England player since Darius Vassell against Sweden in 2002, and Harry Kane sitting on six goals, the Three Lions carry an immense threat of their own.
Given England's defensive leaks and Argentina's relentless scoring form, backing both teams to find the net is a highly logical angle.
Both sides have proven incredibly tough to beat but have regularly needed extra time to get the job done recently, making the 90-minute draw the standout value play.
England vs Argentina picks and predictions
- Match result: Draw at 2/1 (3.00)
- Both teams to score at 1/1 (2.00)
- Both tipped on Tipstrr by VB Tips