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Brilliant semi-final matchups and player battles ahead
James Robson •  July 13th, 2026 12:08 pm
Argentina and Lionel Messi headline a brilliant semi-finals ahead at the World Cup | Photo: AP
It's a World Cup semi-final lineup for the ages.
Four previous champions and the four top-ranking teams in the world. Five of the six top scorers, one GOAT and one of the most bitter rivalries in football.
Argentina, Spain, France and England went into the tournament as the top four in FIFA's rankings and are two wins away from being crowned champion of the world again.
Kylian Mbappe has helped put France into the semi-finals and is in scintillating touch | Photo: AP
It's just too close to call either semi-final matchup: France will play Spain in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday (Wednesday NZT) and England will face Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday (Thursday NZT).
Not since 1990 has the final four of a World Cup been made up entirely of previous winners. England and Argentina were involved then, although they didn't play each other. Then, like now, Argentina were the defending champions, after beating West Germany in the 1986 final in Mexico and went on to lose to West Germany in the 1990 final.
And this year could also see a repeat final from 2022 if France and Argentina both advance.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have been an incredible one-two punch up forward for England | Photo: AP
Argentina must overcome England in a match that resumes a fierce rivalry that goes beyond the football field, with tensions also relating to the 1982 conflict over the Falklands Islands.
On the field there have been numerous flashpoints between the teams on the World Cup stage. Argentina captain Antonio Rattin, whose death was announced on Saturday, was sent off in a bad-tempered quarter-final against winners England in 1966.
In 1986 Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal helped Argentina to a 2-1 win against England in the quarter-finals on the way to lifting the trophy.
David Beckham scores from the penalty spot against Argentina at the World Cup in 2002 | Photo: AP
David Beckham was sent off in 1998 for kicking out at Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone.
Beckham got his revenge four years later by scoring a penalty in a 1-0 win that contributed to Argentina being eliminated at the group stage.
France and Spain meet again in the semi-finals of a major tournament, just two years since going head-to-head at the European Championship.
Spain won 2-1 with a then-16-year-old Lamine Yamal on the score sheet and went on to lift the Euros by beating England in the final.
Spain have been working their way into the tournament and towards top form in impressive style | Photo: AP
Two years on and France are widely regarded to have been the most impressive team of this World Cup with a dizzying array of attacking talent and the joint leading scorer in Kylian Mbappe ahead of the semi-final on France's Bastille Day.
In contrast Spain had to contend with injuries to Yamal and fellow winger Nico Williams coming into the tournament and have relied on late goals from substitute Mikel Merino to edge past Portugal and Belgium in the last two rounds.
The race for the Golden Boot, meantime, has become a thrilling competition within the tournament as many of the world's most lethal finishers have all turned up in peak form.
Mbappe and Lionel Messi lead the way with eight goals each. Erling Haaland has seven, but he cannot add to that number after Norway were eliminated by England in the quarter-finals.
Argentina's Lionel Messi is eyeing off unchartered territory for the sport in his country | Photo: AP
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have six each, while Ousmane Dembele is on five.
There's also the contest for the all-time top scorer at World Cups overall with Messi on 21 goals and Mbappe on 20.
Messi is already considered by many to be the greatest of all time — the GOAT — and his performances at what is likely his last World Cup, aged 39, have only strengthened that argument. This will be Messi's first ever game against England.
If Messi can lead Argentina to the title, he would surpass the great Maradona by winning two World Cups for his country.
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