For the first time in his two-decade international career, Lionel Messi will line up against England on Wednesday in Atlanta – a semi-final that revives one of football’s most combustible rivalries. The defending world champions meet a Thomas Tuchel-led side that ended 60 years of hurt by beating Norway in Miami, where Jude Bellingham scored a match-winning brace for the second consecutive game.
England’s path has been fraught. Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup opened the scoring before Bellingham equalised, and Tuchel admitted his team “got lucky” after Norway had a second goal ruled out by VAR. “Honest Tuchel says England got lucky,” the Mirror reported. Bellingham responded bluntly: “Whatever.”
“Lionel Messi will face England for the first time in a World Cup semi-final that revives a bitter rivalry dating to 1966.”
Argentina, meanwhile, needed extra time to overcome a 10-man Switzerland. Goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez sealed a 3-1 win, but not before the Swiss had equalised through Dan Ndoye. The match was watched by a nation aware of the threat England pose, according to Standard Sport.
The rivalry between these nations stretches back to 1962, when England won 3-1 in the group stage. But it was the 1966 quarter-final that defined the enmity. Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was sent off after 33 minutes for arguing with the German referee, refusing to leave the pitch for almost eight minutes. England manager Alf Ramsey called the Argentine side “animals” and insisted his players did not swap shirts. To this day, Argentina claims Geoff Hurst’s winning goal was offside.
Political tensions, particularly around the Falklands War in the 1980s, have fuelled the animosity. Argentina players and fans still reference the conflict in football songs.
The last World Cup meeting came in 2002, meaning many younger fans have never witnessed this fixture on football’s biggest stage. Of five World Cup matches between the sides, England have the edge historically, but none have carried the weight of Wednesday’s showdown.
“It’s a footballing rivalry that goes back generations,” wrote BBC Sport’s Andy Cryer. “Iconic. Generational. Classic.”
Now, with Messi finally facing England and Bellingham in red-hot form, the stage is set for another chapter. The question is whether Tuchel’s “mentality” can overcome the world’s best player – or whether Argentina will prove too strong, as they did in 2022.