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England and Argentina renew one of international football's fiercest rivalries when they meet at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals on July 15th.
The fixture has produced some of the sport's most iconic moments, from England's victory on the way to lifting the World Cup in 1966 to Diego Maradona's infamous ‘Hand of God' and ‘Goal of the Century' in 1986.
With the backdrop of the Falklands War adding further edge during the 1980s, few international rivalries carry as much history.
Wednesday's meeting will be the 15th between the nations, but remarkably, it will take place at a 12th different stadium.
Wembley Stadium remains the rivalry's true home
No venue has staged England versus Argentina more often than Wembley Stadium, which has hosted five meetings across the old and new builds.
The old Wembley welcomed the rivalry four times, beginning with England's 2-1 Festival of Britain victory in 1951 before hosting a famous World Cup quarter-final in 1966, won 1-0 by Alf Ramsey's eventual world champions.
Friendlies followed in 1974 (2-2), 1980 (3-1 to England) and 1991 (2-2), before the rebuilt Wembley staged a goalless draw in 2000.
Those matches produced everything from Geoff Hurst's emergence on the world stage to Diego Maradona's first appearance at Wembley and countless flashpoints between two fiercely competitive teams.
England vs Argentina has had World Cup classics across three continents
Away from Wembley, England and Argentina have shared some unforgettable World Cup encounters.
Their first tournament meeting came at Estadio Braden Copper Company in Chile in 1962, where England ran out 3-1 winners in the group stage.
Four years later came the ill-tempered quarter-final at Wembley before the rivalry's most famous chapter unfolded at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in 1986. Maradona's two legendary goals settled a 2-1 Argentine victory in front of more than 114,000 spectators.
/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.footballgroundguide.com%2Fmain%2F2026%2F07%2Fimago33736209-1.jpg "Every stadium to have hosted England vs Argentina ahead of mouthwatering 2026 World Cup semi‑final 1")
Another World Cup meeting came at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne in 1998. Michael Owen's wonder goal helped England to a dramatic 2-2 draw, but David Batty's missed penalty sent Argentina through after a shootout.
England's finest modern victory arrived four years later at Sapporo Dome, where David Beckham's penalty secured a memorable 1-0 win during the 2002 World Cup group stage.
A New Chapter in Atlanta
Mercedes-Benz Stadium now becomes the latest venue to host one of football's greatest rivalries.
The state-of-the-art Atlanta arena has already staged seven matches during the 2026 World Cup and will now welcome England and Argentina for the first time, with a place in the final at stake.
Every England vs Argentina match
| Date | Competition | Result | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May 1951 | Friendly | England 2-1 Argentina | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 17 May 1953 | Friendly (abandoned) | Argentina 0-0 England* | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires |
| 2 June 1962 | FIFA World Cup (Group Stage) | England 3-1 Argentina | Estadio Braden Copper Company, Rancagua, Chile |
| 6 June 1964 | Friendly | Argentina 1-0 England | Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 23 July 1966 | FIFA World Cup (Quarter-final) | England 1-0 Argentina | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 22 May 1974 | Friendly | England 2-2 Argentina | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 12 June 1977 | Friendly | Argentina 1-1 England | La Bonbonera, Buenos Aires |
| 12 May 1980 | Friendly | England 3-1 Argentina | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 22 June 1986 | FIFA World Cup (Quarter-final) | Argentina 2-1 England | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| 24 May 1991 | Friendly | England 2-2 Argentina | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 30 June 1998 | FIFA World Cup (Round of 16) | Argentina 2-2 England (Argentina won 4-3 on penalties) | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne |
| 23 February 2000 | Friendly | England 0-0 Argentina | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 7 June 2002 | FIFA World Cup (Group Stage) | Argentina 0-1 England | Sapporo Dome, Sapporo |
| 12 November 2005 | Friendly | England 3-2 Argentina | Stade de Geneve, Geneva |
| 15 July 2026 | FIFA World Cup (Semi-final) | England vs Argentina | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
England vs Argentina by Stadium
| Stadium | Meetings |
|---|---|
| Wembley Stadium (old & new) | 5 |
| Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 1 |
| Sapporo Dome, Japan | 1 |
| Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne | 1 |
| Stade de Genève, Geneva | 1 |
| Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires* | 1 |
| La Bombonera, Buenos Aires | 1 |
| Maracana, Rio de Janeiro | 1 |
| Estadio Braden Copper Company, Chile | 1 |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 1 |
*The 1953 friendly at Estadio Monumental was abandoned because of torrential rain.
After more than 70 years of history, England and Argentina are set to add another chapter – and another stadium – to one of international football's most intense rivalries.