World Cup Hero
Predict the 2026 World Cup your way
Argentina and England are in different groups at the 2026 World Cup. A direct meeting can happen from the knockout stage onwards. On the FIFA ranking, Argentina are the favourite — a 3-place gap.
1986: Maradona's hand én zijn solo-actie. 1998: Beckham's rode kaart. 2002: Beckham's penalty. Politiek en sport vermengen zich.
| Argentina 🇦🇷 | Metric | 🏴 England |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | FIFA Ranking | #4 |
| Group J | Group | Group L |
| CONMEBOL | Confederation | UEFA |
| Lionel Scaloni | Head coach | Thomas Tuchel |
| 19 | WC appearances | 17 |
| World champion (1978, 1986, 2022) | Best WC | World champion (1966) |
Reigning champions, world number one, with Messi on his farewell tour — it's hard to think of more reasons to label Argentina the top favourite. Behind Messi stands a team that wins without him too: Martínez intimidates keepers, Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández control any midfield, Álvarez and Almada find the goals. Group J with Algeria, Austria and Jordan is a winning formality. The question isn't whether Argentina reach the quarter-finals, but whether Scaloni keeps them fresh until the final. A title defence would place Messi alongside Pelé and above Maradona. A semi-final is the minimum; anything less is failure.
England have reached at least the semi-final of every major tournament since 2018 — and missed out on the trophy every time. This is the Bellingham, Foden, Saka and Kane generation, and it's literally now or never. Tuchel was appointed in 2024 to deliver the one thing Southgate couldn't: a trophy. Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea and knows tournament football. Group L with Croatia looks tough on paper, but England are enough of a favourite to win it. Strength: midfield depth. Weakness: still the mental block on penalties. It would be poetic if England became world champions again 60 years after 1966 — but English poetry rarely ends well.
Set your 10 sliders and decide which teams win according to your model — including this dream matchup.
Start predicting →Argentina and England are not in the same group. A meeting can only happen from the knockout stage (Round of 16 onwards).
On the FIFA world ranking, Argentina (#1) are favoured over England (#4). The gap is 3 ranking places.
Argentina: World champion (1978, 1986, 2022) (19 World Cup appearances). England: World champion (1966) (17 World Cup appearances).
Argentina are coached by Lionel Scaloni. England are coached by Thomas Tuchel.
Argentina play in Group J. England play in Group L.
Last updated: 2026-06-07