- England and Argentina have announced their confirmed starting XIs for the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal.
- Jude Bellingham starts for England, while Rodrigo De Paul has been left on the bench by Argentina.
- Check the full team lineups, formation details and key selection decisions ahead of kickoff.
The moment we have been waiting for has finally come, with the starting XI of both teams for the blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final battle between England and Argentina announced. Both Thomas Tuchel and Lionel Scaloni have announced strong teams as they go for a spot in the finals against Spain.
The English team has maintained its core players. Following the thought process, Jude Bellingham will play in midfield in collaboration with captain Harry Kane, leading the strike force.
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Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon will provide width down the flanks, whereas Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson will take care of the midfield department of the game.
Argentina made one surprising change during their selection of starting XI players, with Rodrigo De Paul unexpectedly being a starter on the bench. The other player who is coming in the starting line-up for the team is Giuliano Simeone.
Messi vs Kane Battle
Lionel Messi hopes to get one more goal for himself to guide his team to the World Cup finals. That way, Messi will be on the verge of winning the Golden Boot this time around. On the contrary, Harry Kane wants to take his team to the finals after a long wait in the history of the English national team with the help of Jude Bellingham.
England Starting Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford
Defenders: Reece James, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson
Attacking Midfielders: Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon
Forward: Harry Kane
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Argentina Starting Lineup (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez
Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico
Midfielders: Giuliano Simeone, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Julián Álvarez
The world is eagerly awaiting the outcome of whether England will finally defeat their traditional rivals in the World Cup, or whether Messi will lead his Argentine team to glory one more time.