Opta's football supercomputer has predicted that England will defeat Argentina in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving the Three Lions a 38.2% probability of winning within regulation time. The match, set to be the second semi-final of the tournament, will see the two footballing giants clash for a place in the final.
Argentina and England's Path to the Semi-finals
Argentina, the reigning world champions, advanced to the last four by overcoming Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-finals. The match required extra time after Switzerland's Breel Embolo was sent off, leaving his team with 10 men for the latter stages. England also needed 120 minutes to secure their semi-final spot, beating Norway 2-1 thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham, who completed a comeback for the Three Lions.
Opta's Supercomputer Analysis
According to The Analyst, Opta ran 25,000 pre-game simulations for the England vs Argentina semi-final. The model gives England a 38.2% chance of winning the match within 90 minutes, while Argentina has a 32% probability of victory in regulation. The likelihood of a draw stands at 29.7%, which would push the contest into extra time and potentially a penalty shootout.
Should the match go beyond 90 minutes, England holds a narrow edge, with a 51.9% chance of progressing to the final compared to Argentina's 48.1%, according to Opta's simulations.
Stakes for the Final
As noted by FIFA, the winner of the England vs Argentina semi-final will advance to the World Cup final, where they will face the victor of the other semi-final between France and Spain. For England, reaching the final would represent a historic opportunity, as the nation last won the World Cup in 1966. Argentina, on the other hand, would be seeking to retain the title they claimed in Qatar in 2022 and add another chapter to their storied tournament history.
Mysterious Cat Also Backs England
Legit.ng previously reported that Nimbus Pronos, a mysterious cat, also predicted that England would prevail in the semi-final and advance to the final scheduled for July 19. The feline predictor's forecast aligns with the supercomputer's analysis, both favoring the Thomas Tuchel-led side to come out on top.
