The upcoming World Cup semifinal promises to be one for the history books.
Featuring four teams that have previously won the championship and ranked as the top four teams globally since FIFA’s ranking introduction in 1992, this semifinal includes five of the six leading goal scorers and showcases one of soccer’s fiercest rivalries.
Argentina, Spain, France, and England entered the tournament as FIFA’s top four teams and stand just two victories away from claiming the title again. France will face Spain in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, while England takes on Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday.
This is the first time since 1990 that all four teams in the World Cup semifinals have previously won the tournament. Back then, England and Argentina participated, but they did not compete against each other. Argentina was the reigning champion after claiming victory against West Germany in the 1986 finals in Mexico and subsequently fell to West Germany in the 1990 final.
Should both France and Argentina win their matches, a rematch of the 2022 final could be on the cards.
Argentina must triumph over England to reach the final for the second consecutive time, reigniting a fierce rivalry that encompasses historical tensions stemming from the 1982 Falklands conflict.
Throughout the years, there have been several heated moments between the two teams on the World Cup platform. In 1966, Argentina captain Antonio Rattin, whose passing was announced on Saturday, was infamously sent off during a contentious quarterfinal match against England. The England manager, Alf Ramsey, even attempted to prevent his players from exchanging shirts with Argentine players after a narrow 1-0 win.
Two decades later, Diego Maradona’s notorious “Hand of God” goal led Argentina to a 2-1 victory over England in the 1986 quarterfinals, propelling them towards the trophy.
In the 1998 tournament, David Beckham was sent off for a kick aimed at Argentina’s Diego Simeone, whose dramatic reaction drew heavy criticism from the English press. Argentina advanced in that match through penalties.
Beckham got his chance for redemption four years later, netting a penalty that helped eliminate Argentina during the group stage.
On the opposing side of the draw, France and Spain will clash in the semifinals, just two years after meeting in the European Championship, where Spain triumphed 2-1 and went on to win the tournament against England.
Kylian Mbappé was hindered by a broken nose in that earlier matchup, but this time, he leads the scoring chart alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi, both having scored eight goals this tournament. Erling Haaland previously in the race will no longer contend following Norway’s elimination, but other players are still in the hunt.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have scored six goals each, while Ousmane Dembélé follows with five. If Spain prevails against France, Mikel Oyarzabal’s four goals could also place him in the discussion for Golden Boot contenders.
This tournament has sparked a thrilling competition for the all-time World Cup scoring record, with Messi holding 21 goals and Mbappé closely trailing with 20.
Messi, often hailed as the greatest of all time (GOAT), has further cemented his legacy through his outstanding performances, especially considering this is likely his final World Cup at the age of 39. Notably, this upcoming match will mark his first encounter with England.
A victory could see Messi lead Argentina to a second World Cup title, allowing him to surpass the legendary Diego Maradona and establish himself as the first player to win back-to-back titles since Brazil in the late 1950s.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.