HIGH STAKES - England and Argentina battle for WCup final spot today

Forty years after the infamous ‘Hand of God’ incident, the stage is now set for another England-Argentina  showdown as the second semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes the spotlight today.
Expectation is high at the British High Commission in Kingston and, likewise, at the Argentina Embassy that their countries will be in Sunday’s final.
British High Commissioner to Jamaica Alicia Herbert will join her staff to watch today’s game well aware of the challenge the World champions present.
“I’ll be watching the match at the High Commission with colleagues and friends. It’s going to be a nervy game, but the team has overcome all obstacles so far. A lot can happen in a game of football. Come on, England!” said Herbert.
Deputy High Commissioner Jonathan Cook also has high hopes of a win for the Three Lions.
“I’m so excited for the semi-final. At this stage, no game is easy, and every game is critical, so I can’t wait to see what the team does. I’ll be watching with colleagues, cheering on England together,” he told The Gleaner.
But he knows where Argentina’s threat lies.
“[Lionel] Messi is incredible. For me, he is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). So playing against any team he plays for is always going to be hard, but we have great players, too, so I’m quietly confident of a 3-2 victory for England,” Cook said.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have, astonishingly, scored the lion’s share of England’s goals – six each – with the other goalscorer, Marcus Rashford, putting away one in the 13 goals the side has scored.
“It’s hard to look past Bellingham at the moment. Four goals in the last two games makes me think he can take us all the way to the final,” opined Cook.
“They (Argentina) present a very tough challenge and are excellent in their own right, but so are we. Hopefully, Bellingham, Kane, and [Bukayo] Saka will come to the party,” High Commissioner Herbert told The Gleaner.
Thousands of very knowledgeable children are among fan bases, and Rufus Khoo, whose father works at the British High Commission, is among England’s young fans, “cheering loudly and proudly for the indomitable ... Three Lions”.
“Very confident. Little Messi may fight with all his might, but it will be Bellingham’s roar that will prevail and take it home for England. This band of brothers will not succumb to the Hand of God,” declared the seven-year-old.
He was referencing that incident in 1986, long before he was born, when television replays showed that Argentine great Diego Maradona had used his hand to punch the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton in the 2-1 encounter that knocked England out of the tournament.
EXCELLENT GAME AHEAD
Argentina Ambassador Marcelo Balbi Calvo and his staff are hoping to travel to a nearby spot close to their New Kingston-based embassy to watch today’s semi-final.
“England is an excellent opponent, with football traditions as Argentina, with outstanding players, passionate supporters. I think that it will be an excellent game. Messi is an extraordinary figure, and he’s an inspiration for millions of people for his resilience, his talent, his ability to overcome difficulties,” he said.
Calvo recalled that during the match with Egypt, Argentina were losing the match 2-nil, and in a little more than 10 minutes, they managed to convert three goals to clinch victory. 
“It was a very, very [great] achievement. But our national team is not only Messi. We have very good players – [Leandro] Paredes, [Alexis] MacAllister; it’s an excellent team. The Argentine national team demonstrates excellent teamwork, with resilience, with hard work, and with a spirit that the squad is looking for, for the success of the entire team,” Calvo told The Gleaner during an interview at his office yesterday evening.
Calvo admitted to being nervous but confident.
“I’d like Argentina to win, but for sure, we have to play at our very, very best. I love the Jamaican support. It’s impossible to convey the sensation that an ambassador has seeing a lot of flags of my country around in Jamaica, on the cars, in some houses, on some flagpoles. It’s incredible. And it’s a very, very emotional moment for me, being ambassador and being in Jamaica. It’s really a wonderful experience in my career,” said Calvo.
The winner will face Spain in next Sunday’s final while the losing team will face France in Saturday’s third-place playoff.
The 2 p.m. kick-off at the Atlanta Stadium in Georgia will be shown delayed at TVJ at 8:30 p.m. with pregame, halftime, and postgame shows during the live game and updates on The Gleaner’s website and social-media pages.
karen.madden@gleanerjm.com