England against Argentina in a World Cup semi-final is exactly the tie this tournament was building towards. Thomas Tuchel’s side needed extra time to see off Norway in Miami — Jude Bellingham cancelling out Andreas Schjelderup’s opener before grabbing the winner three minutes into extra time — and now face a defending champion side who have made a habit of finding a way through when it matters.
Argentina were pushed to extra time themselves by Switzerland, eventually getting over the line through Julián Álvarez and a late Lautaro Martínez strike. It is the third time in three knockout games that Lionel Messi’s side have needed extra time or a dramatic finish to advance, but they arrive in Atlanta unbeaten in their last 12 World Cup matches and chasing a first title defence since Brazil in 1962.
Match Odds
| England Win | Draw | Argentina Win |
|---|---|---|
| 13/8 | 2/1 | 2/1 |
Odds via bet365, correct at the time of writing and subject to change — check the app for the latest prices.
Team News
England
Bellingham has been the standout performer of England’s knockout run, with Kane still the focal point in attack. Ezri Konsa’s suspension opens the door for Jarell Quansah in central defence, a change England will hope doesn’t unsettle a backline that has already shown vulnerabilities in this tournament.
Argentina
Messi leads the first goalscorer market and remains the focal point of everything Argentina do in the final third, with Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez and Enzo Fernández providing support. Rodrigo De Paul’s engine in midfield has been central to grinding out results in games that haven’t gone to plan early.
Both teams to score is priced at 19/20, with over 2.5 goals over 90 minutes at 13/10 — the market expecting this one to be tight and low-scoring rather than end to end. The 1998 Round of 16 meeting between these sides famously went to penalties, and that outcome is available again at 4/1.
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England 1–1 Argentina (Argentina win on penalties)
Both sides have needed the full 120 minutes to get through their last knockout tie, and nothing about their form so far suggests this one will be settled inside 90. England have the narrow market edge, but Argentina’s tournament pedigree and Messi’s ability to conjure something from nothing make them dangerous whenever the game is on a knife edge.
We’re leaning towards a tight, low-scoring contest that goes the distance, with Messi anytime the standout individual play given how often he’s found a way to influence these knockout games.
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