Former England midfielder Paul Scholes has predicted a dramatic World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina, describing the match as a “50-50” contest and forecasting a high-scoring encounter.
According to a report by Metro Sport published on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Scholes expects Wednesday’s clash to be full of drama and believes England can edge a thrilling seven-goal contest.
Although neither side has consistently produced its best football during the tournament, Scholes said both teams have shown resilience to reach the last four.
England opened their campaign with a victory over Croatia before underwhelming performances against Ghana and Panama. Thomas Tuchel’s side then came from behind to defeat DR Congo in the round of 16, beat Mexico, and narrowly overcame Norway in the quarter-finals, with Jude Bellingham playing a decisive role.
Argentina, the defending champions, won all their group-stage matches but faced tougher tests in the knockout rounds. They needed extra time to overcome Cape Verde, recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt, and then defeated Switzerland to book a place in the semi-finals.
Scholes said Argentina’s experience in major tournaments gives them a psychological advantage but believes England possess the stronger squad.
“I don’t think either team has played that well, but they’ve got through. Argentina have been there before and know how to win these big games, which is a big advantage,” he said.
Despite that, Scholes backed England to advance, predicting an eventful match.
“This will be lively, this will be chaos. It could be 4-3 either way. There will be yellow cards, maybe even red cards. It will all be going off.”
Scholes also suggested he is less confident about England’s prospects beyond the semi-final, saying a potential World Cup final against France would present an even greater challenge.
