England vs Argentina Tips, Predictions & 9/1 Bet Builder
Joshua Kerr 
Scott McGlynn
We're down to the last four at the 2026 World Cup, and the second semi-final in Atlanta is about as big as they come, England against defending champions Argentina, with a place in the final at stake.
England needed extra time to get past Norway in the quarter-final, falling behind early before Jude Bellingham levelled just before the break and then struck again three minutes into extra time to send the Three Lions through. Manager Thomas Tuchel wasn't in a celebratory mood afterwards, bluntly calling it a lucky win and demanding better from a team he felt were sloppy in possession. England are chasing a first World Cup final appearance since their triumphant 1966 campaign, and this is already their fourth semi-final since, following 1990 and 2018.
Argentina also went the distance against Switzerland, needing extra time themselves after Alexis Mac Allister's early goal was cancelled out, before Julian Alvarez's stunning strike from outside the box and a late Lautaro Martinez goal sealed a 3-1 win. It's back-to-back World Cup semi-finals for the Albiceleste for the first time since 1986 and 1990, and Lionel Messi, now on eight goals for the tournament, will be out to leave his mark on a game after a rare quiet outing in the last eight.
Kane leads England's charge with six goals of his own, level with Bellingham following the midfielder's quarter-final brace, giving England two players with five or more tournament goals, a feat matched only by France in this year's competition.
Here are our three football betting tips and the best free bet offers ahead of tonight's clash in Atlanta, and don't forget to check out the best World Cup Betting Sites, courtesy of Free Bets.
England vs Argentina Tips
Here are our top three World Cup betting tips and the best free bets ahead of this game.
Tip 1: Lionel Messi 2+ shots on target
Messi didn't get on the scoresheet in the quarter-final, but by every other measure it was one of his most influential performances of the tournament.
With eight goals already in the bank and the biggest game of Argentina's campaign so far in front of him, expect Messi to take the game on early and often rather than sit back and dictate from deep.
Tip 2: Match to go to extra time
oth of these sides have needed extra time to get here, England edging past Norway and Argentina eventually seeing off a stubborn Switzerland side.
Two heavyweight nations with everything to lose and a World Cup final on the line rarely settle these games early, and given the pattern of both teams' knockout run so far, another 120 minutes looks a live possibility.
Tip 3: Harry Kane to score, Jude Bellingham 1+ shot on target & Lionel Messi 2+ shots on target
France have so far lived up to their hype, and while Spain will be their toughest assignment to date, Didier Deschamps' men could win through to the Final.
Add to your bet builder for this to be a clean contest. Spain and France picked up just two yellow cards between them across their quarter-final ties, so Under 2.5 cards is leaping out here.
Round things off with Ousmane Dembélé, who has had a 31% conversion rate and scored five goals at this year's World Cup, to give Spain plenty to think about. Dembélé to register over 0.5 shots on target is worth pursuing.
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