2026 World Cup: England vs Argentina official line-ups, Juventus, Inter and Como stars benched
Quick summary
Official line-ups for the 2026 World Cup match between England and Argentina have been released, with notable Juventus, Inter, and Como players starting on the bench.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceInter captain Lautaro Martinez, Juventus winger Nico Gonzalez and Como’s Nico Paz are on the bench for Lionel Messi’s Argentina against England in the World Cup semi-final.
It kicks off in Atlanta at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – JULY 10: Nahuel Molina, Julian Alvarez, Christian Romero, Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Otamendi and Nico Gonzalez #15 of Argentina attend a training session one day ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match at Sporting Kansas City Training Centre on July 10, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images) The winners go on to face Spain in the Final on Sunday evening , while the losers fight with France for the bronze medal on Saturday.
There is some Italian representation here, as Maurizio Mariani is the fourth official on the touchline dealing with Thomas Tuchel and Lionel Scaloni.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JUNE 15: Referee Maurizio Mariani (C) walks out of the tunnel with match officials for warm ups before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay at Miami Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) Argentina have scraped their way through to this stage in defending their title won in 2022, needing extra time against Cape Verde, a last-gasp turnaround from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 amid controversy, and again extra time to defeat 10-man Switzerland.
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez scored twice in this World Cup, but he is benched once more in favour of Julian Alvarez.
There was expected to be a Serie A player in the starting XI, as for the first time Juventus man Nico Gonzalez was going to get the nod rather than ex-Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul on the right.
Instead, it is Giuliano Simeone, younger brother of Torino forward Giovanni Simeone, who plays.
Curiously, Giuliano was born in Rome because his father Diego was playing for Lazio at the time.
Nico Gonzalez spent this season on loan with Atletico Madrid, but they did not agree to buy him outright yet, scoring five goals in 37 games.
Nahuel Molina, another former Udinese player, starts at right-back, while ex-Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes has shaken off a knock.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 03: Nico Gonzalez #15 of Argentina is tackled by Diney Borges #3 of Cabo Verde during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Argentina and Cabo Verde at Miami Stadium on July 03, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) England were given their toughest test yet in the quarter-final, squeezing past Erling Haaland’s Norway in extra time thanks to a Jude Bellingham brace.
All but one of their goals in the competition have been scored by either Bellingham or Harry Kane.
Jordan Henderson is out after breaking his arm jumping over an advertising board, while Jarrell Quansah continues his two-match ban.
Declan Rice has recovered from a stomach bug, but the surprise is Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa given his second start of the World Cup on the right.
There is some reshuffling in defence, with Reece James and Inter-linked Djed Spence as full-backs.
England vs. Argentina line-ups England: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico; Simeone, Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Julian Alvarez
15-07-2026 20:00
Semi-final
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
England
Argentina
vs
Season Analytics
England
Positions
Argentina
SEASON TOTAL ENG HOME 2 1 0 5 1 0 Last matches 11-07-2026
Norway
W
1 - 2
06-07-2026
Mexico
W
2 - 3
01-07-2026
DR Congo
W
2 - 1
27-06-2026
Panama
W
0 - 2
23-06-2026
Ghana
D
0 - 0
01-07-2026
DR Congo
W
2 - 1
23-06-2026
Ghana
D
0 - 0
17-06-2026
Croatia
W
4 - 2
SEASON TOTAL ARG AWAY 1 0 0 6 0 0 Last matches
3 - 1
W
Switzerland
12-07-2026
3 - 2
W
Egypt
07-07-2026
3 - 2
W
Cape Verde
03-07-2026
1 - 3
W
Jordan
28-06-2026
2 - 0
W
Austria
22-06-2026
1 - 3
W
Jordan
28-06-2026
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What happened
The official line-ups for the 2026 World Cup clash between England and Argentina have been confirmed. Several high-profile Serie A-based players from Juventus, Inter, and Como have been named among the substitutes rather than starters, raising questions about tactical choices. Both teams will field strong starting XIs for what is expected to be a marquee group-stage or knockout fixture at the tournament.
Chance analysis
Lineup announcements for a World Cup match of this magnitude directly affect match prediction models. Key Serie A stars being benched signals either tactical caution, rotation, or fitness considerations by their respective national team coaches. This information is critical for pre-match analysis, fantasy/betting markets, and understanding the strategic approach each manager is taking.
Benched Serie A stars are unlikely to feature heavily unless called upon as substitutes, while starting XIs from both England and Argentina are now confirmed for this World Cup fixture.
Juventus, Inter, and Como players starting on the bench may reduce their expected minutes; factor benching into player performance and match outcome predictions.