England vs. Argentina live commentary: World Cup 2026 score, team news, updates

Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of England vs. Argentina in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals, from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta!

Thomas Tuchel's charges and the reigning champions are about to lock horns with a spot in Sunday's final against Spain at stake, while the losers will be condemned to facing France in Saturday's third-placed playoff.

Stay completely up to date throughout the match with our live blog below!

England vs. Argentina: What's the story?

Well, we could run through the ENTIRE storied history between England and Argentina, but we would miss the entirety of tonight's game when running through it all.

The Three Lions and South American giants are renewing a bitter on-field rivalry in Atlanta, 40 years from the infamous Hand of God and Goal of the Century during the 1986 World Cup - also known as the Diego Maradona tournament.

Then came David Beckham vs. Diego Simeone in 1998, and the England icon's revenge penalty four years later, which represents the Three Lions' last meeting with the Argentines in a competitive setting.

Wednesday's contest marks England and Argentina's first showdown friendly or not since a 2005 exhibition match - which the Three Lions won 3-2 thanks to a Michael Owen brace - and confidently picking the winner of tonight's semi-final is a tough ask.

Argentina have kept their dream of back-to-back World Cup honours alive thanks to a glut of goals in the knockout phase - three in every game to be exact - and such firepower has made up for a lack of defensive diligence.

After conceding twice to both Cape Verde and Egypt, Argentina were taken to extra time by Switzerland in the quarter-finals, but the Rossocrociati going down to 10 men proved fatal in a 3-1 Albiceleste triumph.

Meanwhile, England have not managed a World Cup knockout win by more than one goal at the current edition, but Tuchel's side have exhibited tremendous powers of recovery to come from behind twice against DR Congo and most recently Norway.

Some members of Tuchel's squad have previously come face-to-face with Lionel Messi, but this will be the first time that the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner - still in hot pursuit of another Golden Boot and Golden Ball - takes on England as a team.