Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 14

Maradona Jr. Calls Argentina-England 2026 World Cup Semifinal Special as 907 Deaths Still Shadow Rivalry

Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 14

Maradona Jr. Calls Argentina-England 2026 World Cup Semifinal Special as 907 Deaths Still Shadow Rivalry

Q: Messi finally faces England in a World Cup. Will this historic rivalry define his potential last ever tournament match?

Yes. If this is Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, a semifinal against England is almost certain to become one of the defining frames of his tournament legacy. The match carries unusual weight because Messi, despite 205 international appearances, has never faced England before. That alone makes Wednesday’s semifinal in Atlanta historically notable. Add the stakes — a place in the final, Argentina’s bid to defend the title, and Messi’s age at 39 — and it becomes more than a routine knockout game. The rivalry itself gives the occasion extra force. For Argentina, England evokes far more than football, from the Falklands/Malvinas war to Diego Maradona’s unforgettable 1986 quarterfinal, when the “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century” turned the fixture into folklore. Diego Maradona Jr. called this meeting “far from an ordinary game,” reflecting how deeply it resonates in Argentina. For Messi personally, the match is a rare chance to add his own chapter to a rivalry long defined by Maradona, Beckham and other flashpoints. He enters in strong form, having scored in every knockout match and leading the Golden Boot race. A win would send him to another World Cup final and strengthen his case for an even more singular place in football history. A loss would make England the opponent that ended his likely final World Cup run. So while the rivalry will not define Messi’s entire career, it is very likely to define this moment of it.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 14

Diego Maradona Jr. said Wednesday's Argentina-England World Cup semifinal in Atlanta is "by no means an ordinary game" for Argentines and fans of his late father.
The 39-year-old tied the match's emotional weight to the 1982 Falklands war, which killed 907 people, and to Diego Maradona's defining role in Argentina's 2-1 win over England at the 1986 World Cup.
That quarterfinal produced both the "Hand of God" goal and Maradona's later "Goal of the Century," cementing a rivalry that Maradona Jr. said has never felt normal since.
England are chasing a first World Cup final since 1966, while Maradona Jr. warned the in-form side still must beat the defending champions in what he expects to be a tough game for both teams.