Gary Neville thinks England have an unbelievable chance to win the World Cup. Roy Keane thinks they will come up short against Argentina. That split is the cleanest way to read the build-up to England vs Argentina, a semi-final in Atlanta between teams who have both found form and a Lionel Messi problem to solve.
Neville's optimism and Keane's warning
Neville's case is built on England's run and the size of the opportunity. He said they have reached a World Cup since 1966 and called this an unbelievable chance to win it, while still admitting Argentina bring danger because of Messi and their spirit.
Keane was sharper. “Truthfully, I think they'll come up short against Argentina,” he said, adding that Argentina would “find something in a tight game.” That is the more forceful read, and it is hard to dismiss. England are into just their fourth World Cup semi-final, and Argentina have won their last five World Cup matches.
The history and the form both matter here. The first meeting between England and Argentina in 21 years comes in Atlanta, and Argentina needed extra-time wins over Cape Verde and Switzerland in the knockout stages.
Messi, Shearer and the left-back debate
Messi is the obvious centre of the argument. He has 8 goals in 6 World Cup appearances in 2026 and has averaged a 9.2 rating across his last five World Cup matches. That is the level England are trying to blunt, and it is why Jay Bothroyd has pushed for Djed Spence at left-back.
Bothroyd said Spence is one of the fastest players in the England team and argued that his recovery pace and one-on-one defending could help against Messi's movement into central areas. Spence is right-footed but performs better as a left-back, which is why the suggestion has a bit of bite to it rather than sounding like random tinkering.
Alan Shearer has added a different concern. He said it would worry him if decisions went against England and feared a red card or a VAR intervention could shape the game. Ismail Elfath will referee it, and he has already shown one red card during this tournament. Shearer also pointed to Argentina's quarter-final against Switzerland, where VAR re-awarded a yellow card to Breel Embolo before the red followed.
That is the tension around this semi-final. Neville sees a chance, Keane sees a team that can be done in a tight game, and the practical question for Thomas Tuchel is whether Spence is the safest match-up solution if Messi keeps drifting inside. Jude Bellingham will still be England's main attacking force, but the first job is surviving the hours that lead to the final whistle in Atlanta.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →