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Argentina Faces England in WC 2026 Semifinal Despite Messi Injury

7/15/2026

22 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Argentina Meets England

Argentina will meet England in the World Cup 2026 semifinal in Atlanta.
Coach Lionel Scaloni says squad is fit, despite Lionel Messi’s eye injury kept him from training, and expects him to start, though Julian Alvarez could replace him if needed.
Argentina advanced by beating Cape Verde 3-2, Egypt 3-2 after trailing, and Switzerland 3-1, all in extra time.
The semifinal winner will face Spain on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Summary

Scaloni Leads U-21

Lionel Scaloni (Argentina U-21 coach) led the side at the L’Alcudia tournament.
His staff included River Plate star Pablo Aimar and ex-centre-back Walter Samuel.
Analyst Matías Manna said an asado equals twenty video-analysis sessions.
After the 2018 World Cup, the Argentine Football Association hired Lionel Scaloni as the cheapest option, later seeing him pass to Lionel Messi in 2005 and hug him after Messi’s 2006 World Cup goal.

History

Historical Context

Argentina’s first World Cup title came on 25 June 1978, when the military junta’s host nation beat the Netherlands 3-1 at Buenos Aires’s Estadio Monumental. The triumph, achieved amid propaganda and controversy, cemented football as a national symbol and still shapes the side that now meets England in the 2026 high-stakes global semifinal.

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Argentina Meets England

Argentina will meet England in the World Cup 2026 semifinal in Atlanta.
Coach Lionel Scaloni says squad is fit, despite Lionel Messi’s eye injury kept him from training, and expects him to start, though Julian Alvarez could replace him if needed.
Argentina advanced by beating Cape Verde 3-2, Egypt 3-2 after trailing, and Switzerland 3-1, all in extra time.
The semifinal winner will face Spain on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

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