England vs Argentina: World Cup Semi-Final Head-to-Head, Record and Preview

England face Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, July 15, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kick-off is at 3:00pm ET, which is 8:00pm UK time. It is the sides' first meeting at a major tournament since 2002, and one of international football's most storied rivalries.

The Rivalry

Few fixtures carry the history of England against Argentina. Their World Cup meetings alone have produced some of the tournament's most famous moments:

• 1966, World Cup quarter-final: Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was sent off, and England went on to win 1-0. Manager Alf Ramsey's description of the Argentine players as "animals" afterward became one of the rivalry's defining moments.
• 1986, World Cup quarter-final: Diego Maradona scored both the "Hand of God" and the "Goal of the Century" in a 2-1 Argentina win, still one of the most replayed passages of football in World Cup history.
• 1998, World Cup Round of 16: David Beckham was sent off for a kick on Diego Simeone. The match finished 2-2, with Argentina winning on penalties.
• 2002, World Cup group stage: Beckham had his redemption, converting the only goal of a 1-0 England win that helped send Argentina out in the group stage.

World Cup Head-to-Head

England and Argentina have met five times at the World Cup, and the record favours England clearly: three wins to one, with a fourth match drawn before Argentina won on penalties.

Games won by England	Draws	Games won by Argentina
3	1	1

Date	Match	Score	Result	Stage
2 Jun 1962	England vs Argentina	3-1	England won	Group stage
23 Jul 1966	England vs Argentina	1-0	England won	Quarter-final
22 Jun 1986	Argentina vs England	2-1	Argentina won	Quarter-final
30 Jun 1998	Argentina vs England	2-2	Draw (Argentina won 4-3 on pens)	Round of 16
7 Jun 2002	Argentina vs England	0-1	England won	Group stage

Overall Head-to-Head (All Competitions)

Across all matches, not just World Cups, England hold a wider edge: six wins to Argentina's two, with five draws.

Games won by England	Draws	Games won by Argentina
6	5	2

Notable recent meetings include a 2-2 draw at Wembley in 1991, a goalless friendly in 2000, and England's 3-2 win in Geneva in 2005, their most recent meeting before this tournament. (Some databases list a third Argentina win, from a 1964 mini-tournament match in Rio de Janeiro known as the Taça das Nações; whether that fixture counts as a full international is disputed, which is why total match counts vary slightly by source.)

Recent Form

England (W-D-W-W-W-W)

Date	Match	Result	Score	Competition
11 Jul 2026	Norway vs England	W	1-2 (AET)	Quarter-final
5 Jul 2026	Mexico vs England	W	2-3	Round of 16
1 Jul 2026	England vs DR Congo	W	2-1	Round of 32
27 Jun 2026	Panama vs England	W	0-2	Group stage
23 Jun 2026	England vs Ghana	D	0-0	Group stage
17 Jun 2026	England vs Croatia	W	4-2	Group stage

England needed extra time to see off Norway, with both goals coming from Jude Bellingham, including the winner three minutes into extra time.

Argentina (D-W-W-W-W-W)

Date	Match	Result	Score	Competition
11 Jul 2026	Argentina vs Switzerland	W	3-1 (AET)	Quarter-final
7 Jul 2026	Argentina vs Egypt	W	3-2	Round of 16
3 Jul 2026	Argentina vs Cape Verde	W	3-2 (AET)	Round of 32
27 Jun 2026	Argentina vs Jordan	W	2-0	Group stage
22 Jun 2026	Argentina vs Austria	W	2-0	Group stage
16 Jun 2026	Argentina vs Algeria	W	3-0	Group stage

Argentina also needed extra time against Switzerland, goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez seeing off ten men after Breel Embolo's second-half red card.

Odds

Bookmakers have this one close to a pick'em, reflecting two sides that have both needed extra time to get through their quarter-finals.

England vs Argentina 1X2

1 (England)	X (Draw)	2 (Argentina)
2.80	3.05	2.75

Both Teams to Score

Yes	No
2.00	1.80

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Over 2.5	Under 2.5
2.20	1.65

Odds are a snapshot and will move as team news is confirmed, so check current prices with a licensed operator before betting.

How to Watch

Check local broadcasters and official streaming partners in your region for live coverage of the semi-final.