The World Cup field narrows to two today when England and Argentina meet in Atlanta for the second semifinal, with a place in Sunday’s final on the line. Whoever wins joins Spain, which already secured its spot after beating France 2-0.
How to watch the semifinal
Kickoff for England versus Argentina semifinals is set for 3 p.m. Eastern time at Atlanta Stadium. The match airs on FOX in the United States, with Telemundo also carrying coverage, and streams live on FOX One. ESPN is offering studio coverage around the match rather than the broadcast itself, including its morning World Cup show and later editions of “SportsCenter” and “Fútbol Picante” on ESPN Deportes throughout the day and into the night.
England’s path to the semifinal
England arrives unbeaten, having won its group before grinding through three straight knockout matches. The team beat DR Congo in the round of 32, edged Mexico in a high scoring round of 16 clash and needed extra time to get past Norway in the quarterfinals thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham. Bellingham and captain Harry Kane have each scored six goals this tournament, putting both among the competition’s top scorers heading into the semifinal.
Argentina’s run through the bracket
Argentina has needed extra time twice already, first in a group stage survival act against Cape Verde and again in a tight quarterfinal win over Switzerland. In between, the team rallied past Egypt in the round of 16. Lionel Messi has been at the center of it all, his eight goals tied for the tournament lead, and he has also broken the World Cup’s all time assists record along the way.
A rivalry with history behind it
Beyond the stakes of reaching the final, England and Argentina carry one of soccer’s most heated rivalries into this matchup, one built over decades of controversial goals, political tension and dramatic knockout meetings. Neither side needs extra motivation with a trip to Sunday’s final on the line, but the history between these two programs adds another layer to an already massive semifinal match.
What comes next
The winner will face Spain on July 19 for the championship, giving that team a few extra days to prepare and rest key players compared to whichever side survives this afternoon’s match. For now, the attention is squarely on Atlanta, where either an England side built around Kane and Bellingham or an Argentina team still carried by Messi will punch its ticket to the final.
