Istanbul / Ahmed Hassan / Anadolu Agency

- Messi faces the English national team for the first time in his career

- Tuchel carries the hopes of the 'Three Lions' to reach the first final in 60 years

- Historical legacy and renewed rivalry in the meetings between the two teams

Millions of eyes turn on Wednesday to Atlanta Stadium, where the historic clash between Argentina and England renews in the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The two teams enter the match after a tough journey, as Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the quarterfinals, while England defeated Norway 2-1 in regular time.

An exceptional match

The match acquires a special character as Argentine star Lionel Messi faces the English national team for the first time in his international career, hoping to lead his country to a new final and lift the cup for the second consecutive time after the 2022 Qatar edition.

The encounter comes amid emotional atmosphere in Argentina after the death of former 'Tango' captain Antonio Rattin at the age of 89, one of the most prominent names linked to the beginning of football tension between the two teams since the 1966 World Cup.

On the other hand, German coach Thomas Tuchel seeks to lead the 'Three Lions' to the World Cup final for the first time in 60 years, relying on some of his top players, including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.

The winner will advance to the final scheduled for Sunday to face Spain, which defeated France 2-0 on Tuesday.

The match will be held at Atlanta Stadium, known as the 'Mercedes-Benz Stadium', in the U.S. state of Georgia, with a capacity of 68,239 spectators during the tournament.

The stadium hosts its seventh and final match in the tournament, and features a retractable roof and a 360-degree circular video screen, making it one of the most modern venues among the host cities.

A long history

The two teams have met in 14 matches, including friendlies, with England leading with six wins against three for Argentina and five draws. In the World Cup, this is the sixth meeting between them.

The World Cup rivalry began in the 1962 edition in Chile, when England defeated Argentina 3-1 in the group stage.

Ron Flowers, Bobby Charlton, and Jimmy Greaves scored for England, while Jose Sanfilippo scored the only goal for Argentina.

Both teams finished the group with a similar record of wins, draws, and losses, but goal difference gave England the ticket to the next round at the expense of their rival, before they were eliminated by Brazil in the quarterfinals.

Since that tournament, the football sensitivity between the two sides has remained present in subsequent matches over the next six decades as well.

But the real conflict began in the 1966 World Cup in England, when the two teams met in the quarterfinals at Wembley Stadium, and the match ended with a 1-0 win for the hosts.

Argentina still considers that match one of the most controversial encounters, as they questioned the validity of Geoff Hurst's goal, while the referee sent off their captain Antonio Rattin after 33 minutes.

The match was delayed by about eight minutes due to Rattin's refusal to leave the field, and tension escalated further after England coach Alf Ramsey described Argentine players as 'animals' and prevented his players from exchanging shirts with the opponent.

English defender George Cohen later recalled the atmosphere of the match, saying that the encounter saw spitting, hair-pulling, and attempts to intimidate players, and that the noise continued in the tunnel after the final whistle.

It is believed that what happened in that match later contributed to the adoption of yellow and red cards, which were used for the first time in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

Maradona and the 'Hand of God'

The clash was renewed in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, four years after the Falklands War between the two countries, turning the match into an encounter with great political and popular dimensions.

In the quarterfinal, Diego Maradona scored a goal with his hand against England, which he later said was scored by the 'Hand of God'.

Maradona jumped in front of English goalkeeper Peter Shilton and put the ball into the net with his hand without the Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser noticing the offense, leaving the moment as one of the most famous controversial incidents in the tournament's history.

Maradona added a second goal after dribbling past several English players, a moment considered by many as one of the greatest World Cup goals.

Gary Lineker reduced the gap, but Argentina won 2-1, then continued their path to winning the title against West Germany.

The first goal remained a subject of debate for decades, and Maradona did not apologize for it until 2005, but Shilton rejected the apology.

Beckham's red card

In the 1998 World Cup in France, the two teams met in the round of 16, and after regular and extra time ended in a 2-2 draw, Argentina won 4-3 on penalties.

The match remained in memory due to David Beckham's red card after kicking Diego Simeone, yet England held on with ten players until the end of the match.

Gabriel Batistuta and Alan Shearer exchanged penalty kicks to give both teams a goal each before Michael Owen scored a stunning solo goal for England, while Javier Zanetti equalized for Argentina from a free kick.

Sol Campbell scored a header in the 81st minute, but the referee disallowed it for a push, sending the match to penalties.

In the penalty shootout, David Batty and Paul Ince missed their kicks, allowing Argentina to advance before being eliminated by the Netherlands in the next round.

Simeone later admitted that he exaggerated his fall after his collision with Beckham, and about a year after the match, he said the referee 'fell into the trap'.

English revenge

The last meeting between the two teams in the World Cup came in 2002 in South Korea and Japan, where England avenged their defeat to Argentina in the previous World Cup, winning 1-0 with a goal by Beckham from a penalty kick, after Michael Owen was fouled by Mauricio Pochettino.

The win was important for England in the group stage and contributed to their qualification to the next round, while Argentina were eliminated early from the tournament for the first time since 1962.

Then England beat Denmark in the round of 16 before being eliminated by Brazil in the quarterfinals with a famous free kick from Ronaldinho.

After 24 years since their last World Cup meeting, Argentina and England return to a new encounter carrying a long legacy of controversy, rivalry, and immortal moments, but this time for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup final.