Argentina captain Lionel Messi said that playing against ‘powerhouse’ England will be special for Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal.
Argentina and England won their respective quarterfinals against Switzerland and Norway to set up a blockbuster clash. England and Argentina have met five times at the World Cup, with England winning in 1962, 1966 and 2002.
Argentina, on the other hand, won 2-1, courtesy of a controversial goal by Diego Maradona en route to lifting the World Cup before knocking England out in the 1998 last-16 stage on penalties. Meanwhile, this will be Lionel Messi’s first international against England.
“Everything I have seen and remember [about Argentina vs. England from 1986] is from videos and images that Argentinians constantly watch and relive,” Messi told ESPN Argentina. “But I think this group is used to playing football matches regardless of the opponent.
“Obviously, playing against England is special because they are a powerhouse, and matches against powerhouses are always special. Personally, it’s the first time I’m going to play against them. I’ve played against everyone except England, so it will be nice for that reason too.
“And we’ll experience it for what it is: a World Cup semifinal against a powerhouse, a great team, and we’ll try to arrive in the best possible shape to compete again.”
‘We’ll Approach It Like Every Other Game’ – Jose Manuel
Meanwhile, Argentina star Jose Manuel Lopez said that England and Argentina have a lot of football history, but the team will approach the contest like every other game.
“It’s a match-up with a lot of history, but we’re professionals,” he said. “We’ll approach it like every other game and give everything until the end.”
Julian Alvarez, meanwhile, believes that England will give the defending champions a great fight.
“We’re very proud to be among the top four teams in the world,” he said. “England have impressive players and are a great team. Now we need to recover well and prepare for the game.”