World Cup semifinal: Key players to watch in England vs Argentina clash

Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane volition beryllium among the stars connected amusement during Wednesday’s lucifer successful Atalanta.

The latest section successful 1 of satellite football’s biggest rivalries volition beryllium written connected Wednesday arsenic England and Argentina clash successful the World Cup semifinals successful Atlanta.

It’s definite to beryllium a hotly contested brushwood with the 2 nations facing each different for the archetypal clip successful 21 years.

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Some of the biggest names successful satellite shot volition beryllium successful action, including Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.

Here’s a person look astatine the cardinal players who could determine Wednesday’s semifinal.

England’s Jude Bellingham celebrates aft the lucifer arsenic England suffice for the semifinals of the World Cup [Paul Childs/Reuters]

Jude Bellingham

World Cup 2026 statistics:

• Goals: 6
• Assists: 1
• Minutes played: 574

The Real Madrid prima has been a pivotal subordinate for England astatine this tournament, scoring respective important goals to resistance the Three Lions to the semifinal stage.

He scored doubly successful Miami connected Saturday arsenic England came from down to beat Norway and besides grabbed a brace during a brutal Round of 16 necktie against Mexico.

Those goals mean helium is the archetypal subordinate to people doubly successful consecutive knockout matches astatine the World Cup since Diego Maradona successful 1986.

The 23-year-old is definite to person a large portion to play successful Wednesday’s crunch encounter.

England’s Harry Kane during England’s quarterfinal against Norway successful Miami [AFP]

Harry Kane

World Cup 2026 statistics:

• Goals: 6
• Assists: 1
• Minutes played: 627

The Russia 2018 Golden Boot victor is successful the hunt to triumph the grant for an unprecedented 2nd rubric aft different prolific tournament.

Kane scored doubly successful England’s opening lucifer against Croatia and repeated that feat successful their archetypal knockout lucifer against DR Congo. He besides scored a important punishment against Mexico astatine the Azteca Stadium.

Kane struggled successful the Miami vigor against Norway connected Saturday, but he’s returning to the aerial conditioned comforts of Atlanta – the venue wherever helium scored a brace against DR Congo.

England’s all-time starring World Cup goalscorer volition beryllium a existent interest for Argentina heading into Wednesday’s tie.

England’s Anthony Gordon celebrates their archetypal extremity against Norway [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]

Anthony Gordon

World Cup 2026 statistics:

• Goals: 0
• Assists: 3
• Minutes played: 327

After signing for Barcelona from Newcastle connected the eve of the World Cup, determination was plentifulness of absorption connected Anthony Gordon successful England’s aboriginal matches.

He started the tourney slowly, but the near winger has travel live during the knockout stages and acceptable up Jude Bellingham for England’s opener against Norway connected Saturday.

He besides won a punishment successful Mexico City, arsenic England went 3-1 up against cohosts Mexico.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi earlier the Switzerland clash [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]

Lionel Messi

World Cup 2026 statistics:

• Goals: 8
• Assists: 2
• Minutes played: 608

The Argentinian fable has played a captious relation for his state astatine this tournament, scoring 8 goals and mounting up 2 much arsenic the defending champions marched into the past four.

He started the tourney successful good form, scoring a hat-trick against Algeria successful Argentina’s opening game.

He’s since netted against Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt.

Messi has ne'er faced England earlier and volition beryllium hopeless to travel successful the footsteps of Diego Maradona and sound Argentina’s fierce rivals out.

Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez celebrates scoring their 3rd extremity against Switzerland [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]

Lautaro Martinez

World Cup 2026 statistics:

• Goals: 2
• Assists: 1
• Minutes played: 347

The Inter Milan guardant enactment the icing connected the barroom connected Saturday, scoring the 3rd extremity for Argentina astatine the extremity of other clip arsenic the South American giants yet saw disconnected Switzerland.

While Messi has grabbed the headlines for Argentina astatine this tournament, Martinez has been the champion of the remainder with 2 goals and 1 assist.

He’s travel disconnected the seat successful Argentina’s past 2 matches, but remains a extremity menace for La Albiceleste whether successful the starting XI oregon not.

Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their archetypal extremity against Switzerland [Jay Biggerstaff/Reuters]

Alexis Mac Allister

World Cup 2026 statistics:

• Goals: 1
• Assists: 1
• Minutes played: 540

The Liverpool midfielder acceptable Argentina connected their mode successful Saturday’s quarterfinal triumph implicit Switzerland, scoring aft conscionable 10 minutes from a Messi cross.

He whitethorn not person the astir eye-catching statistic astatine this tournament, but the 27-year-old is simply a cardinal beingness successful Argentina’s midfield, linking defence to onslaught and popping up successful the absorption box.

Mac Allister has started each crippled for Argentina astatine this World Cup and his acquisition successful the English Premier League volition beryllium captious during Wednesday’s clash with the Three Lions.