England fans may take confidence in knowing they have a historical advantage over Argentina in their World Cup semi-final.
Wednesday’s game is going to be blockbuster. Two sides jam-packed with talent, boasting some of the most in-form players of this tournament.
England and Argentina have a storied history at the World Cup. A crushing 2-1 loss to La Albiceleste in 1986 is the one that sticks out from an English perspective. Or maybe for the younger fan, it’s when Argentina knocked them out in the round of 16 with a narrow win on penalties.
England won the most recent clash, a 2002 group stage tie, and there’s reason to believe they can repeat the feat in 2026.
Aside from Lionel Messi, which Argentina player scares you the most and why?
Messi will play against England for the first time in his career 😯
Argentina haven’t beaten a World Cup winner without penalties since 1990
England’s recent World Cup history has been difficult, but at least they have been crowned world champions. The 1966 World Cup is when football came home, which puts them on an elite list of eight tournament winners.
- Brazil: 5
- Germany 4
- Italy: 4
- Argentina: 3
- France: 2
- Uruguay: 2
- England: 1
- Spain: 1
And Argentina haven’t beaten any of them at the World Cup without penalties in 36 years. That was at the 1990 edition, when they knocked Brazil out. Since then, they have struggled against world champions.
They went out to Germany three tournaments in a row from 2006 to 2014 before losing to France in the 2018 tournament in Qatar.
Of course, they got their revenge on the French in Qatar, but that went down to penalties.
Argentina have really only been a powerhouse on the international stage again with the rise of Lionel Messi. But even with the greatest player of all time in their ranks, they have struggled against World Cup royalty.
England pose a huge threat to their hopes of going back-to-back, and history suggests it won’t be easy at all. If they are to proceed to the final, there’s a good chance it happens in the most dramatic way possible.
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