England and Argentina had met five times at the World Cup before their 2026 semifinal.
Their first World Cup meeting came in 1962, when England won 3–1 in the group stage. England also defeated Argentina 1–0 in the 1966 quarter-final, a match remembered for Argentina captain Antonio Rattín’s controversial dismissal.
Argentina won the most famous encounter in 1986, beating England 2–1 in the quarter-final after Diego Maradona scored both the “Hand of God” goal and the Goal of the Century. In 1998, the teams drew 2–2 in the round of 16 before Argentina advanced on penalties. England won their next meeting 1–0 in the 2002 group stage, with David Beckham scoring the decisive penalty.
That 2002 match was therefore the fifth prior World Cup meeting. The 2026 semifinal was the sixth, making this one of the most frequently played intercontinental rivalries in World Cup history. Penalty shoot-outs are recorded separately from the match score in most statistical summaries.