Get you up to speed: What happened in the first half of the England vs Argentina semifinal?
In the first half of the World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, England faced Argentina, resulting in heated exchanges but no goals. Both teams committed multiple fouls, with England recording seven and Argentina twelve, as the first half ended goalless.
The match featured seven fouls by England compared to twelve by Argentina, highlighting a tense atmosphere on the pitch. Both teams were issued one yellow card each, with England’s Elliott Anderson receiving a caution in the 38th minute and Argentina’s Martínez booked shortly thereafter.
Both teams received one card each in a fiercely contested first half, with England’s Elliott Anderson booked for a foul on Lionel Messi at the 38th minute. As the match progresses, tensions remain high, indicating that further disciplinary action may be necessary if the physical play continues.
What remains unclear — It is unknown how the players’ physical exchanges will impact the match’s overall dynamic and referee decisions moving forward.
England and Argentina end first half of World Cup semifinal goalless
Sport|World Cup 2026What happened in the first half of the England vs Argentina semifinal?
All the biggest moments, heated exchanges, fouls and stats from the first 45 minutes of the heated semifinal in Atlanta.
Published On 15 Jul 202615 Jul 2026
Heated exchanges between players, contested fouls, but no goals marked the first half of the World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina in Atlanta.
The highly anticipated match on Wednesday is being played in a tense atmosphere as the reigning world champions face a top-10 ranked team for the first time in the tournament.
The match heated up quickly, as arms went flying and words were exchanged between players from both sides, but the first half ended with everything except a goal or even a shot on goal.
What were the key moments of the England vs Argentina World Cup semifinal?
Two minutes into the match, Jude Bellingham was fouled by Leandro Paredes with an elbow shove in the face.
Another couple of minutes in, an Elliott Anderson challenge on Lionel Messi brought down the Argentina captain and earned the England player a retaliatory foul from Enzo Fernandez. The referee remained uninterested, though, leaving the England bench howling.
Anderson earned England their second free kick as he was fouled by Giuliano Simeone in the seventh minute, but England failed to convert it into anything.
England kept the ball in the Argentinian half, building attacks on the left flank, but were unable to convert them into shots on goal.
In the 13th minute, Anderson and Fernandez were at it again, and they looked ready to full-on clash on the pitch, with Morgan Rogers and Paredes joining the party. England believed they were wronged by the Argentinian midfielder as head coach Thomas Tuchel remonstrated on the touchline. Yet again, no cards came out.
How many cards were given in the England vs Argentina semifinal?
Both teams received one card each, starting with Anderson in the 38th minute for his challenge on Messi, which brought together players from both teams in a heated scuffle.
Soon after, in the 42nd minute, Argentina’s Martinez was booked for pulling back Rogers, which Martinez reacted to in protest before the match continued.
How many fouls were made in the first half of the semifinal?
England had seven fouls, while Argentina had 12.
What were the head-to-head stats in the first half of the England vs Argentina semifinal?
England enjoyed 44 percent possession, with Argentina dominating with 56 percent.