Inter Miami CF duo, captain Leo Messi and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, carry on with their FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaigns with Argentina, with La Albiceleste set to take on England in the Semifinals this Wednesday, July 15. The match at Atlanta Stadium will get underway at 3 p.m. ET.
Where to Watch
Fans can watch the action live in English on FOX, and in Spanish on Telemundo, Peacock.
Recapping Quarterfinals Action
Argentina booked its place in the Semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ with a 3-1 victory over Switzerland after extra time at Kansas City Stadium in the Quarterfinals. Messi registered the assist on Argentina's opening goal, while De Paul started and played a key role in midfield for the defending world champions.
The match also marked another historic night for Messi. The captain made his record-extending 32nd FIFA World Cup appearance and became the first player in tournament history to record 10 career FIFA World Cup™ assists.
England, meanwhile, arrives at the Semifinals of the global competition after securing a 1-2 comeback victory over Norway in extra time in the Quarterfinals.
Tournament Performance and Head to Head
La Albiceleste began their World Cup campaign with a perfect record in Group J, opening with a 3-0 win over Algeria, followed by defeating Austria 2-0 and Jordan 3-1. Argentina then kicked off the knockout stages by defeating Cape Verde and Egypt with identical 3-2 scorelines in the Round of 32 and Round of 16 respectively, prior to overcoming Switzerland in the Quarterfinals.
England's run in the knockout stages, meanwhile, has seen the team win 2-1 against DR Congo in the Round of 32, 2-3 against Mexico in the Round of 16, and 1-2 against Norway in the Quarterfinals. Prior to that, the Three Lions opened their campaign by topping Group L with seven points and an undefeated record of two wins and a draw.
Argentina and England have a storied rivalry. The national teams haved faced off a total 14 times in competitive fixtures or friendlies, with five of said matchups coming in FIFA World Cups. Argentina have recorded three wins to six for England, while five games resulted in draws.
Notably, the matchup presents Messi and De Paul's first encounter against England, as the last times the sides met were in a friendly in 2005 and in the FIFA World Cup 2002.
Messi and De Paul with Argentina
In his historic international career, Messi has guided Argentina to the 2021 and 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América titles and 2022 CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions crown, and further cemented his legacy by leading his country to a historic FIFA World Cup title in 2022.
Messi also notably holds the records for most caps (205) and most goals (125) for Argentina, while also holding the international record for most World Cup goals (21), assists (10), and matches played (32), and being the only player to score in the World Cup group stage, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final.
De Paul, meanwhile, is featuring in a World Cup for a second time after his key role en route to lifting the cup in 2022. El Motorcito was also one of the main figures alongside Messi in La Albiceleste's 2021 and 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América and 2022 CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions conquests. In all, the versatile midfielder has earned 92 caps, scoring two times, in his fruitful international career for Argentina.
