England will play Argentina in the World Cup semifinal on Wednesday. Manager Thomas Tuchel hopes to lead England to their first World Cup final in 60 years. England last reached the final in 1966.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have been key players for England in the 2026 tournament. Both have scored six goals each.
Facing Argentina
This semifinal marks the first time Lionel Messi, at 39 years old, will play against England. The match has a rich history between the two nations.
We're a new kind of news feed.
Regular news is designed to drain you. We're a non-profit built to restore you. Every story we publish is scored for impact, progress, and hope.
Start Your News DetoxTuchel, a former coach for Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich, spoke to reporters in Atlanta. He said he does not feel extra pressure.
"I don't feel a burden. We feel the tension and will be nervous, but that is normal," Tuchel said. He added that his players are competitive, hungry, and excited for the match.
Tuchel noted the iconic nature of both teams' shirts and the historic matches they have played. England has not won a major trophy since their 1966 World Cup win at home.
England and Argentina have met five times before in World Cups. A notable match was the 1986 quarterfinal. Diego Maradona scored his famous "Hand of God" goal, leading Argentina to a 2-1 win. Twelve years later, Argentina won on penalties after David Beckham received a red card.
Tuchel said players from both countries understand the significance of the game. However, as a coach, he focuses on what his team can control. He also stated he would not use the rivalry as motivation.
"We know why we are here, we know what we want," he said. "We are in the semifinals, and we arrive very hungry."
Tuchel confirmed that the entire squad trained before the game. Declan Rice is fit after an illness. Jarell Quansah is suspended due to a red card in the last 16 match against Mexico.
Diego Maradona of Argentina handles the ball past Peter Shilton of England to score the opening goal of the World Cup quarterfinal at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico. Argentina won 2-1 [Bongarts/Getty Images]
A Big Obstacle
Tuchel praised Lionel Messi, who has scored eight goals and is second in the Golden Boot race. He said he had "no words" to describe Messi's magic.
He also noted Argentina's team cohesion and experience in tournament play. They have a strong core group of players and an experienced coach, Lionel Scaloni.
"We know how big the obstacle is, but we are ready for it," Tuchel said.
England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have scored 12 of the team’s 13 goals en route to the semifinals [Paul Childs/Reuters]
Argentina has worked hard to reach the semifinals. England also had tough matches against DR Congo, Mexico, and Norway.
Tuchel said this is his first World Cup as a coach. He noted that it's rare for a team to have an easy path through a tournament.
"We will prepare for the best version of Argentina," Tuchel stated. "We expect and demand the best of ourselves." He believes England has "not peaked yet" and that the match will bring out their best.
If England wins, they will play Spain in Sunday's final. Spain beat France in the first semifinal.
