Recommended
Argentina faces England on Wednesday in the second semifinal of this World Cup, a duel between the star Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham.
The Albiceleste are the defending champions and are looking to be the first national team to successfully defend their title since Brazil did so in 1958 and 1962. England has not won the crown or advanced to a final since they hosted in 1966.
- TAMBIÉN LEE: ¿Por qué la eliminación de Messi preocupa tanto a la FIFA? El negocio de 800 millones que pocos conocían
The winning team will clash with Spain, who are already waiting in the final after imposing themselves with authority and defensive solidity 2-0 against France on Tuesday.
Here is the latest before, during, and after the second semifinal:
¿Avanzará Messi en la lucha por el Botín de Oro?
Messi has the opportunity to pull away from Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot.
Heading into the duel, the Argentine captain and Mbappé are tied with eight goals in the tournament. Messi is also the all-time leading scorer in World Cups with 21 goals.
Stopping him is the biggest challenge for England in Atlanta.
At 39 years old, Messi is likely playing in his last World Cup. And in this final tango, he could surpass his compatriot Diego Maradona by winning the trophy for a second time following the triumph in Qatar in 2022. Maradona led his country to the title in 1986 and was a runner-up four years later.
Messi enfrenta por 1ra vez a Inglaterra
Messi and Bellingham, separated by a 16-year age gap, have been the stalwarts for their teams to reach the final four of the tournament. And all eyes during Wednesday's match in Atlanta will be on the 39-year-old Argentine captain and the 23-year-old English attacking midfielder.
Beyond the individual duel, Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni hopes his players will rediscover a level of performance that will allow them to resolve the match more easily, after the anxious episodes experienced in the knockout stages.
Messi will take the field to play against England for the first time in his illustrious career. —Eric Núñez—.
[Publicidad]