For Messi and his squad, the lesson of 1990 is clear: when you are the champions, the world presents a treacherous road. Sometimes, they block the road entirely.

Elfath, an American citizen born in Morocco, will officiate the England-Argentina clash, with fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins serving as his assistant referees.

Standing tall, chest puffed out, and arms outstretched, Jude Bellingham’s trademark celebration has become one of the defining images of England’s World Cup.

The technology introduced to eliminate controversy has become the tournament's defining subplot, and Argentina, fairly or otherwise, have found themselves at its centre.

The bottom line is that both teams have repeatedly found a way to win even when the odds appeared stacked against them. Neither, however, has produced the convincing, dominant display expected of a potential champion.

Argentina's Alexis Mac Allister has urged his team to take inspiration from Diego Maradona as they seek to get the better of England in their World Cup semifinal on Thursday.

A new study spanning 26 countries and more than 10,000 people, conducted by researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, suggests there's a correlation between your political ideology, your media habits, and which of these two mega-stars you back.

Suffering remains an unavoidable, deeply embedded experience for this team; a tax Argentina always seems destined to pay before they can taste glory, or otherwise. The question is whether Scaloni can survive the next wave of it by standing still.

That will change on Thursday [1am, Bangladesh Time] when Argentina meet the European side in a World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, a heavyweight clash that Argentina's FA (AFA) described on its website as "the match fate owed Messi."

France vs Spain, 1am, Wednesday [Bangladesh Time] Argentina vs England, 1am, Thursday [Bangladesh Time]

Argentina have been far from convincing at this World Cup. Yet every time they have been pushed to the brink, they have found a way through.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni insisted there is nothing more than football at stake when his team faces England in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final, despite a rivalry steeped in decades of sporting drama and political tension.

A World Cup quarterfinal, locked at 1-1. Against a resilient Switzerland in Kansas City yesterday, Argentina were desperately searching for a moment of inspiration -- perhaps from captain Lionel Messi, the man who has repeatedly rescued La Albiceleste on the biggest stage.

Lionel Messi was involved in a heated exchange with Portuguese referee Joao Pedro Pinheiro during Argentina's 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal on Sunday.

The Argentina-Switzerland quarterfinal had everything: an early goal, an equaliser, a heated exchange with the referee, a yellow card overturned, a red card, extra time and more goals. In the end, defending champions Argentina prevailed to keep their title defence alive.

The 39-year-old has remained inspirational, scoring in every match and extending his World Cup tally to a record 21 goals despite admitting fatigue after successive demanding contests.

Swiss coach suggested the best way to limit Messi's influence was to deny him possession altogether.

On July 11, 2021, Argentina ended a 28-year wait for a major international trophy by defeating Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final at the Maracana Stadium.

Lionel Messi's Argentina will face Switzerland in a World Cup quarterfinal in Kansas City on Sunday morning, with the game scheduled to kick off at 7:00 am in Bangladesh time.

When an athlete reaches the age of 39, romance alone does not assure a World Cup pedigree. As much as football fans love the narrative of a seasoned veteran willing his team to glory purely on heart and nostalgia, the reality of the 2026 tournament in North America is far more clinical.