England v Argentina LIVE: Late call to be made on Rice fitness ahead of World Cup semi-final

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The Independent

·14. Juli 2026

England v Argentina LIVE: Late call to be made on Rice fitness ahead of World Cup semi-final

England are set to make a late call over the fitness of key figure Declan Rice as they gear up for a massive World Cup semi-final against Argentina.

Rice was forced off early in the quarter-final win over Norway having been struggling with illness, and has also dealt with a hamstring issue during the course of this tournament. His possible absence from the semi-final in Atlanta would have been a huge blow, but it appears that the midfielder is likely to be available to Thomas Tuchel – who also faces selection headaches defensively with Reece James perhaps coming under consideration for a start after his recovery from his own hamstring problem.

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The encounter will be the latest chapter in a storied World Cup rivalry, though England and Argentina have not met in a fixture of any kind since a friendly in 2005. It means Lionel Messi will take on Tuchel’s side for the first time – though goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has insisted that they risk letting others hurt them if they focus overly on the Argentina captain.