For the first time in over 21 years, England and Argentina will renew their storied rivalry and they will do so on one of football’s biggest stages – a World Cup Semi-final. 

The last time these two sides met was in a 2005 friendly. On that occasion, a fresh-faced, long-haired and recently suspended 18-year-old watched on as England overturned a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2. 

That boy’s name was Lionel Messi and what he would go on to achieve over the next two decades would transform everything we previously thought possible about the Beautiful Game.

Now 39, already a World Champion, as well as the tournament’s all-time leading goal scorer, the little maestro will get his first crack at the Three Lions, just before the curtain finally comes down on his illustrious international career. 

Can he follow in the footsteps of his boyhood idol Diego Maradona and end an English World Cup campaign in North America? 

Or will England, led by Kane and Bellingham, avenge all those who were on the field in ’86 as Maradona infamously handled the ball past Peter Shilton into the English net? 

With so many questions, how about we go looking for some answers? Before we do though, to celebrate the momentous occasion that is the World Cup, Sportsbet is bringing back its exclusive Super Sub feature!

How does Super Sub work? Well, it’s very simple. Place a bet on select player markets throughout the Men’s World Cup and if that player is subbed off your bet rolls over to the new player that replaced them.

For example, if you’ve bet on Julian Alvarez to score during this game and he fails to do so and is directly substituted for Lautaro Martinez who ends up scoring instead, your original bet on Alvarez is paid as a winner! 

Super Sub is not exclusive to goalscoring markets either, it also applies to anytime assist, player to win one or more fouls, shots on target and more, just make sure to read all the T&Cs before locking in your bet.

Now back to the action! For the latest betting tips and analysis ahead of this World Cup Semi-final, check out our England vs Argentina tips and predictions below.

England vs Argentina Prediction and Betting Tips

Head-to-Head Prediction

Somewhat surprisingly, at the time of writing, England enter this fixture as the shortest-priced option in the Win-Draw-Win market*. 

There’s no doubt the Three Lions have been impressive, but they didn’t advance from the groups with a perfect record and have survived some extra time scares to advance to this point. 

Jude has been the dude for Tuchel’s team, and the Real Madrid man is good enough to win games on his own. 

Argentina have someone who is also pretty good at doing that – Lionel Messi. With him leading from the front, Lionel Scaloni’s side have swept through the draw with six wins from six. 

However, those who want to argue that La Selección haven’t been given an easy ride, might find they don’t have a leg to stand on. 

Argentina have become the first team in World Cup history to reach a Semi-final without facing a nation ranked inside the top 10. 

Has this lulled them into a false sense of security? Perhaps. But when you pair England's penchant for choking at this point in World Cups, with what the scriptwriters have been cooking up for Messi and co, it’s tough not to back Argentina here.

Still, this will be no cake walk for either side, as history shows extra time or even penalties will be more than likely needed to settle this one

Three of Argentina's last four World Cup Knockout Stage matches have resulted in a draw at the end of regulation time and each of England's last two World Cup Semi-finals matches have resulted in a 1-1 draw at the end of the 90.

Paying 14.00 at the time of writing, Argentina in extra time is oozing with value when you consider form and the history between these two sides. 

Betting tip: Argentina in Extra Time. 

Correct Score Prediction 

As mentioned above, each of England's last two World Cup Semi-finals matches have resulted in a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation time. 

There are two additional stat lines that support this one also ending 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes. 

Firstly, he 'Under 2.5 Goals' market has hit in three of Argentina's last four World Cup Semi-finals matches, and secondly, the 'Both Teams to Score' market has hit in seven of Argentina's last eight World Cup Knockout Stage matches.

Betting tip: 1-1 in Regular Time. 

First Goal Prediction 

Any guesses who our pick is going to be here? It’s not biased if there’s stats to back it up. 

Lionel Messi has been the first goalscorer in three of Argentina's last four World Cup matches against UEFA nations.

He has also scored at least one goal in nine of Argentina's last 10 World Cup matches. Oh, and he’s also the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer. 

For all the Poms reading this, we must confess Harry Kane is also a respectable choice for this market. 

Always the man for the big occasion, Kane has scored at least one goal in four of England's last five World Cup Knockout Stage matches.

Betting tip: Lionel Messi. 

*Odds are subject to change. 

Where to Watch England vs Argentina World Cup Semi-Final 

For the first time ever, Sportsbet is offering punters the chance to stream World Cup matches live*.

To watch Sportsbet’s live streams of the World Cup, you must:

- Be 18+.

- Have a Sportsbet account.

- Be logged into your Sportsbet account.

- Have a positive balance OR have placed a bet in the last 24 hours. 

World Cup streaming is available both in-app and on-web. As long as you meet the above requirements, you’ll be able to tune in on your computer, tablet or phone.

To access the stream for this World Cup Semi-final between England vs Argentina simply find your way to the official betting page for this match. Or, if you have a bet on the game you can watch from your "My Bets" section.

Traditional World Cup broadcaster SBS is also showing every World Cup match, meaning you can also watch England vs Argentina on either SBS, SBS Viceland or SBS On Demand. 

England vs Argentina Match Details 

Date: Thursday, July 16, 2026. 

Kick-off: 5:00am AEST. 

Location: Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia.

Where to watch: Sportsbet, SBS.