Argentina, led by its star Lionel Messi, faces England in a fiery semifinal clash of the 2026 World Cup, while Spain awaits to discover its opponent in the final after dashing France's hopes of winning a third world title.

The matchup between two giants of world football carries great appeal, but the excitement is heightened against the backdrop of long-standing political tensions between the two nations.

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La Albiceleste, under coach Lionel Scaloni, seeks to become the first team to win the World Cup twice in a row since Brazil in 1962, which would be a stunning farewell for the incomparable Messi. Messi, 39 years old and top of the World Cup scoring chart with 8 goals tied with France's Kylian Mbappé, inspired his teammates to win the world title in Qatar 2022, when it was expected to be his last appearance on the biggest football stage. But he returned for more and played a pivotal role in leading Argentina to the semifinals, thanks to his decisive goals in the hard-fought 3-2 wins over Cape Verde and Egypt.

Argentina, three-time champion, will face a heavyweight opponent in Atlanta compared to the teams it has faced before, even if the level of the 'Three Lions' has fluctuated during the football festival.

The men of German coach Thomas Tuchel relied on the brilliance of the duo Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who scored 12 of the 13 goals for the 1966 World Cup champions.

The two teams meet for the first time in an official match since the 2002 World Cup.

Tuchel said he felt no extra pressure despite the historical nature of the match, as England seeks to reach the World Cup final for the first time since winning the title on home soil 60 years ago.

He added, 'I don't feel any burden. We feel tension and anxiety, which is natural.'

He continued, 'What I like is that I feel the players have a high competitive spirit, and they are thirsty and hungry to play this match.'

The German coach indicated that midfielder Declan Rice, who had been suffering from a health setback, is now ready to start.

- Drama -

The history of this matchup is full of dramatic events.

The most notable encounter between them ended with Argentina winning 2-1 in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal in Mexico, which saw two goals from Diego Maradona, one the famous 'Hand of God' goal and the other a stunning solo effort.

Twelve years later, David Beckham was sent off at the France World Cup, before Argentina won on penalties.

The matches between the two teams take place against the backdrop of a continuing sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas Islands, in the South Atlantic.

Britain sent a military force in 1982 to reclaim the islands after an invasion by Argentine forces.

Coach Scaloni has sought in recent days to defuse the tension around this encounter.

He said, 'The truth is that this is a football match. I will not mix things up, especially regarding events that happened a long time ago.'

He added, 'It was a very sad period in our history, and we cannot do much about it. It's just a football match, nothing more.'

The two teams, both among the top four in the world according to FIFA rankings, compete for the right to face Spain in the final on Sunday in New Jersey.

The squad of coach Luis de la Fuente delivered an exceptional performance in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, eliminating the French team which was strongly favored to win the World Cup for the third time after its dazzling attacking displays.

But 'La Roja', the European champions, put in a decisive performance to ensure that France coach Didier Deschamps ends his World Cup career with a defeat.

Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring for the 2010 world champions with a penalty in the first half, and defender Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the second half.

De la Fuente said, 'We started about four years ago with a certain idea, and we stayed true to it, and it has brought us here.'

He added, 'These players deserve everything. They have shown day after day their commitment, solidarity, generosity, and talent. They make the difficult look easy.'