World Cup 2026: Strategies for England to Overcome Argentina

The Athletic, the sports section of The New York Times, recently assessed that Argentina's victory over Switzerland in the quarterfinal showed the team still relies on individual brilliance rather than collective cohesion. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring from a corner kick, before forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez finished off the opponent in extra time. However, statistics indicate that Argentina experienced long periods of stagnation, failing to register a single shot on target in regular time after the opening goal, despite having a one-man advantage from the 72nd minute after Swiss striker Breel Embolo was sent off.

The key to stopping Argentina lies in isolating forward Lionel Messi. Throughout the tournament, the 39-year-old spends up to 63% of his time walking on the pitch, yet he is always ready to punish opponents with brilliant touches. Cutting off the supply of passes to Messi is a more viable approach than trying to confront him directly. Additionally, England must be especially wary of set pieces, from which Argentina has scored six goals. Messi's curling crosses toward the near post have become a trademark move, directly leading to Alexis Mac Allister's goal.

Coach Lionel Scaloni's defense has also revealed significant gaps. Left-back Nicolas Tagliafico is often pushed deep, reducing the South American team's ability to attack from the flanks. In particular, the overly aggressive pressing of defenders Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero frequently leaves vast spaces behind the backline when they step out to mark opponents. This presents a golden opportunity for players adept at making runs into the box, such as England midfielder Jude Bellingham, to exploit. Although Scaloni holds an unbeaten record in his last 10 matches against European teams, the lack of pace on the wings could be the "Achilles' heel" of the Tango dancers.

The Athletic predicts that the upcoming England-Argentina showdown in Atlanta promises to be a tense tactical battle, where a small mistake in counter-attacking or set-piece defense could determine the fate of both football powerhouses.