England vs Argentina - Top Five Encounters in history ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal
This will be the sixth meeting between England and Argentina in a FIFA World Cup
The second semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will see England and Argentina lock horns at the Atlanta Stadium. Both nations have stayed unbeaten in the tournament so far and have made comebacks from tough situations.
Argentina have won all their games in this World Cup, however, they needed extra time to get the better of Cape Verde and Switzerland. Lionel Messi is leading the line for his nation with 8 goals and 2 assists in 6 World Cup games.
England on the other hand have relied on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham’s brilliance in attack to script their journey to the semi-final. The duo has been clutch, especially in the knockout round, splitting all seven of England’s goals amongst themselves.
Both England and Argentina are no strangers at the world stage and they have shared some epic games over the years. Here are the top five England vs Argentina encounters from previous World Cups that are still talked about to this day.
England 3-1 Argentina – FIFA World Cup 1962 Group Stage
The two nations first met in a World Cup match in the 1962 edition that was hosted in Chile. Both nations were in Group 4 alongside Hungary and Bulgaria.
England won the encounter 3-1 courtesy of goals from Ron Flowers, Sir Bobby Charlton, and Jimmy Greaves. Jose Sanfilippo scored a late goal for the South Americans but it was nothing but consolation.
Hungary won Group 4 in 1962 while the England football team finished second and qualified to the knockout stage as well. Argentina finished third and were eliminated from the competition.
England 1-0 Argentina – FIFA World Cup 1966 Quarterfinal
The iconic Wembley Stadium hosted the quarterfinals game between England and Argentina in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Over 90,000 people turned up to cheer on the hosts as England went into the game as favourites.
Argentina gave a tough fight to the hosts but their defence was eventually broken in the 78th minute as Geoff Hurst scored to give the Three Lions a 1-0 lead. England would hold on to their slender advantage as they would knockout their opponents.
England eventually went on to beat Portugal in the semifinal before winning their maiden World crown after defeating West Germany in the final.
Argentina 2-1 England – FIFA World Cup 1986 Quarterfinal
Twenty years on from their last World Cup meeting, England and Argentina squared off in another quarterfinal in 1986. This time the match was played in Mexico in front of over 100,000 fans at the Estadio Azteca.
This game would turn out to become one of the most controversial games in FIFA World Cup’s history owing to one man – Diego Maradona. The Argentine scored two contrasting goals, one being the ‘Goal of the Century’ and the other being ‘The Hand of God’, where he illegally punched the ball into the England net.
Since the referee missed out on the handball, Maradona’s goal stood as the Argentine Football team would eventually go on to win 2-1. La Albiceleste would eventually beat Belgium and West Germany in their next games to bring home their second World Cup title.
Argentina 2-2 England (Argentina win 4-3 on penalties) – FIFA World Cup 1998 Round of 16
Another night, another controversy surrounded the England vs Argentina game in the World Cup with David Beckham being at the eye of the storm this time around.
France’s Stade Geoffroy-Guichard hosted this heated round of 16 match where England and Argentina scored twice each before half time in what was a thrilling encounter. However, David Beckham lost his head in the 47th minute after he retaliated to a foul that was committed by Argentina’s Diego Simeone.
The English midfielder was sent off and could just watch from the dressing room as Argentina would eventually beat the Three Lions in a penalty shootout. La Albiceleste would eventually lose to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals and were knocked out.
England 1-0 Argentina – FIFA World Cup 2002 group stage
Four years on from their controversial round of 16 match, Argentina and England were pitted in Group F alongside Sweden and Nigeria in the FIFA World Cup 2002.
The South Americans beat Nigeria in their first group game while England and Sweden drew 1-1. This meant that the Three Lions had to win their game against Argentina to remain in the hunt for a knockout berth.
Both sides were equally matched, but ironically it was David Beckham, England’s villain from the 1998 FIFA World Cup, who would gain revenge. The England captain converted his penalty kick to help his nation to a 1-0 win over Argentina.
England eventually finished second in Group F, behind Sweden. Argentina finished third and were eliminated. The Three Lions went on to beat Denmark in the first knockout round before succumbing to the eventual winners, Brazil, in the quarterfinal stage.
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Aasif, a football fan turned writer, has been writing about the sport since 2020. Based in Chennai, it is no surprise that love for Chennaiyin FC runs in his blood. Apart from Indian football, Aasif has also written and edited articles extensively about European football.