One of international football’s most storied rivalries, dormant for two decades, is set to reignite in Atlanta, Georgia today.

The thought of England taking on defending champions Argentina for a berth in the World Cup final sends a shiver of anticipation through fans, quickens pulses, and stirs deep emotion.

This semi-final between two evenly matched sides promises to be unpredictable. Both teams have displayed remarkable resilience and an unyielding desire to win. Yet, in just a few hours, one of them will see their World Cup journey end.

Neither England nor Argentina have dazzled consistently at this tournament, but their world-class stars have risen when it mattered most. Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane have all delivered standout performances. This clash could well be decided by the brilliance of one of these individuals, though there’s every chance it will prove far more intricate than that.

Thomas Tuchel predicted “a match with a lot of momentum swings — anything else would surprise me.” The England boss is eager for his side to correct the “technical errors” he felt they made in their quarter-final win over Norway.

Spain await the victor in Sunday’s final, but this encounter stands as a spectacle on its own. On his 206th appearance for Argentina, Messi will face England for the first time, while England prepare to take on arguably the greatest player in football history. It’s a contest that sells itself.

When Morgan Rogers was asked before the quarter-final about stopping Erling Haaland, he responded, “I don’t think anyone has ever stopped Erling, have they?”

England did. They became the first team in this World Cup to silence the Manchester City striker. Although Messi poses a different kind of threat, he is just as capable of inflicting damage. That defensive success will certainly boost England’s confidence ahead of their duel with Argentina’s little magician. Tuchel’s tactical message was clear: “Be brave, be brave around him, stop the support around him.”

For many Argentinians, this is more than just a football match. The rivalry carries emotional and political undertones, felt more intensely on their side. Lionel Scaloni’s team are driven by what Tuchel called their “very emotional style,” and they are determined to make 39-year-old Messi a double world champion.

Superstition also plays its part. Argentina will wear their dark blue and black away kit — their designated colours for this match — but their football association specifically requested FIFA to confirm this. The reason lies in history: they wore the same kit in 1986 when Diego Maradona’s iconic brace eliminated England, and again in 1998 when they knocked England out on penalties in the round of 16.

Tuchel smiled when told of this yesterday. “I would have done the same,” he admitted with a laugh. “I have my superstitious routines too. I won’t tell you what they are, because another superstition is that if I tell you, it won’t work.”

While England boast youthful energy through Bellingham, Argentina have the advantage of experience, with a squad filled with seasoned winners who lifted the last World Cup and have long operated at the top level of the game.

The team Argentina fielded against Switzerland was the oldest seen in a World Cup quarter-final since Brazil’s line-up against England in Chile 1962.

Argentina have gone to extra time or penalties in a record 13 World Cup matches, winning 11 of them, including their recent triumph in Kansas City, Missouri. Members of Scaloni’s coaching staff — Pablo Aimar, Walter Samuel, and Roberto Ayala — each bring invaluable experience from Argentina’s footballing golden eras.

England, however, will not be overawed by Argentina’s pedigree. Their knockout wins over DR Congo, Mexico (in Mexico City), and Haaland’s Norway represent a tougher route than the one faced by Argentina, who overcame Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland.

Tuchel is fully aware of the magnitude of the opportunity before his team. “I feel another change of mood in the group,” he said this week, suggesting a renewed focus and determination as England prepare to rise to the occasion.

Although the win over Norway was not flawless, Tuchel is clearly relishing life as England’s World Cup manager. “I feel very alive,” he said. “I don’t want to be anywhere else in the whole wide world.”