The second semifinal of the 2026 World Cup was set, with England becoming the first team to qualify after beating Norway, while Argentina reached it after defeating Switzerland to set up one of the tournament’s biggest matches with a place in the final on the line.
This match is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15. What comes after this match is the biggest prize in international soccer, as the winner will advance to the final with the chance to lift the trophy.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET at Atlanta Stadium, where another packed crowd is expected for a semifinal between two teams dreaming of reaching the last match of the competition.
Their previous matches
The paths taken by these teams to reach the semifinals have been impressive. England finished first in Group L with a victory over Croatia, a draw against Ghana and a win over Panama, while Argentina won Group J with victories over Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
Jude Bellingham scored two goals for England in the quarterfinals (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images for Rexona)
England advanced to the semifinals after defeating DR Congo 2-1 in the Round of 32 before beating Mexico 3-2 despite playing most of the second half with 10 men, and then overcoming Norway 2-1 after extra time in the quarterfinals.
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Argentina reached this stage after beating Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time before coming back from 2-0 down to defeat Egypt 3-2 and beating Switzerland 3-1 in extra time.
Their furthest World Cup run
England won the World Cup in 1966 as their best run, while Argentina are three-time World Cup champions and have also finished as runners-up three times.
