On Wednesday night (15/7, 22:00 Cyprus time) at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, two of the biggest footballing powers on the planet meet for the second ticket to the World Cup final, with England facing Argentina. England are one win away from their first final appearance in 60 years, while Argentina are aiming to become the first back-to-back champions since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
The winners will face Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, following the Spaniards' 2-0 victory over France in the first semifinal. The losers will meet France in Saturday's third-place match in Miami Gardens, Florida.
A rivalry marked by history
From the legendary 1986 quarterfinal with the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century by Diego Maradona, to the sending off of David Beckham in 1998 and England's revenge in 2002, every meeting between the two national teams carries enormous tension and countless stories.
Forty years after the night that forever marked this rivalry, the two sides meet again in a World Cup knockout match, this time with a place in the final at stake. England's overall World Cup record against Argentina is favourable, with three wins, one draw and one defeat, but those two non-wins remain among the darkest moments in the country's footballing history: the 2-1 loss in the 1986 quarterfinals and the 2-2 penalty shootout defeat in the 1998 round of 16.
Kane focused on the present
England captain Harry Kane played down any notion that those past matches weigh on the current squad.
"I think it's not something you want to focus too much on, surrounding the history. Yeah, that's all part of it and that's what the media will talk about, the fans will be involved in," Kane said. "It's England versus Argentina, it's two of the biggest nations going toe to toe. Two giants in the semifinal of a World Cup. The rest of it is just a small part."
"This is as big as it gets, so I'm really excited for this week," he told ITV. "I think it's going to be a special game and what a tough team to play against but hopefully, that brings the best out in us."
Bellingham leading the Three Lions
England's road to the semifinals was not easy, but it proved they possess the character of a championship side. In the quarterfinal against Norway they fell behind, only to turn the match around with Jude Bellingham as the standout performer.
Bellingham continues a remarkable tournament and has emerged as the undisputed leader of Thomas Tuchel's side, alongside captain Kane. While Kane led the way early with five goals in England's first four matches, Bellingham has delivered consecutive braces in the wins over Mexico and Norway, drawing level with Kane and France's Ousmane Dembele in the Golden Boot race on six goals apiece.
Argentina proving they are more than Messi
Lionel Scaloni's Argentina continue the defence of their title, having again shown the mettle of a great team with three extremely difficult knockout victories. Against Egypt in the round of 16 they rallied from 2-0 down in the final 12 minutes of regulation, and two of their first three elimination matches went to extra time.
In the quarterfinal against Switzerland, they needed extra time to overcome a stubborn opponent, winning 3-1. Lionel Messi did not find the net, ending his record nine-match World Cup scoring streak, but the Albiceleste's forwards became influential for the first time in the tournament. Julian Alvarez scored a stunning goal in the 112th minute before Lautaro Martinez sealed the qualification.
Messi, 39, tops the tournament scoring chart alongside France's Kylian Mbappe with eight goals, and has already broken the World Cup career records for goals (21) and assists (10) in his record sixth appearance. The win over Switzerland was an important showcase of the squad's depth after he scored eight of Argentina's 14 goals through the first five matches.
Respectful but not intimidated
Despite their run, Argentina have not yet appeared to reach their peak in the knockout stage. "Luck was with us against Switzerland," Scaloni admitted. "We must be realistic, there are things we need to improve."
The holders remain respectful of their toughest opponent to date, but far from intimidated. "They have great players, but beyond the individual names they're a team," Argentina defender Gonzalo Montiel said. "Our focus is on ourselves first."
