World Cup 2026: at halftime, England and Argentina locked in a fierce battle (0-0)

15.07.26 FT World Cup

England

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Argentina

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At halftime of this 2026 World Cup semifinal, England and Argentina remain deadlocked after an exceptionally physical first half (0-0).

England and Argentina were unable to break the deadlock in a particularly cagey first half of the 2026 World Cup semifinal. At the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, both sides headed to the dressing rooms with the scoreline still goalless (0-0), after 45 minutes defined more by intensity than by spectacle.

Also read: World Cup 2026: AI predicts the winner of England vs Argentina

The match was repeatedly interrupted by fouls and fierce challenges. The Argentines applied relentless pressure in midfield, while the English responded with uncompromising physicality. The few chances came from Enzo Fernández, whose shot narrowly missed, and Reece James, who was denied by Emiliano Martínez.

However, the tension steadily ratcheted up. Elliot Anderson and Lisandro Martínez eventually went into the referee's book in a clash where physical battles far outweighed technical quality.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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