ENGLAND VS ARGENTINA LIVE: Starting XIs confirmed as Tuchel makes three huge changes for World Cup semi-final showdown

England face

Argentina

in the

World Cup

semi-final with Thomas Tuchel making three changes to the side that beat Norway in the quarter-final.

Morgan Rogers

starts on the right side of attack, with both Noni Madueke and Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka remaining on the bench.

In defence come the big changes, as John Stones keeps his place alongside Marc Guehi, but Ezri Konsa - who has played every minute so far - is OUT!

Reece James

returns at right-back, while on the left,

Djed Spence

is selected ahead of Nico O'Reilly.

The world champions make one change in midfield, with Rodrigo De Paul replaced by Giuliano Simeone. Yep, Diego's son.

Spain await the winners in the final on Sunday, and many of Thomas Tuchel's men would like nothing more than another crack at La Roja, following the Euro 2024 final where they fell just short.

Can England get there? Can they stop Messi's quest for back-to-back triumphs? Can Bellingham and Kane destroy the reigning champs?

Stick with Mirror Football as we bring you all of the build-up to tonight's match below...

England Starting XI: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.

Argentina Starting XI: Martinez; Molina, Romero, Martinez, Tagliafico; Giuliano, Paredes, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez

Opt in and get up to

£5 in free bets If your Bet Builder loses

on England’s Semi-Final match.

You ever noticed this with Argentina? You surely must have seen it.

They don't go out to warm up until Messi is ready.

Everyone else might be all set. But until he's ready, they all wait in the tunnel for him to lead them out.

Thomas Tuchel's team has taken me by surprise.

Morgan Rogers is a good, positive change, in my opinion.

Rogers has done well as a substitute and is strong, powerful and skilful.

Bukayo Saka has not looked right in this tournament (he has done well as a sub) while Noni Madueke has been badly out of form.

But it's the defence. The vibe was definitely stick with the same back four and yet he has made changes in both full back slots.

Reece James at right back and Djed Spence and that feels like a gamble to me.

James has not been fit throughout the tournament. Spence has come on and done well but not been great when he has started.

England star Declan Rice has assured he's feeling normal after his illness.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "Yeah back to normal. It's been a week today. Back to normal, 100%. I feel really good. Feel refreshed, ready to go and yeah I can't wait."

Asked why Tuchel has chosen to start Morgan Rogers, he added: "Obviously he's going to be playing off the right, he's direct, he's fast, he's strong.

"So whoever starts, whoever comes off the bench, as seen throughout this tournament has made a massive impact. So I don't think it's going to affect too much."

Jude Bellingham has been out on the pitch.

He's taken a look around.

And the look on his face suggests he is bang up for this and wants to prove 'I'm the top dog around here'.

England supporters have attempted to fire back at the Argentinian rivals by parading a Ronaldo shirt around.

England shot-stopper Jordan Pickford has faced his fair amount of criticism this tournament and now faces his biggest test in the blockbuster semi-final against world champions Argentina.

There could be an element of recency bias in perceptions of Pickford's big-game pedigree but Martinez has played a huge part in two Copa America triumphs, La Albiceleste's 2022 World Cup win and became a national hero with his penalty antics and 10 saves out of 24 in shootouts.

For those who care.

The BBC are live in Atlanta tonight. They've got some stick for not being in the USA during the tournament.

But Messrs. Rooney, Hart and Richards are on punditry duty in the stadium, with Mark Chapman presenting.

Argentina's main man has arrived. He's set to play England for the first time tonight.

England fans are already being jeered by Argentina supporters ahead of the game. This is set to be a spicy one.

A 2-1 win quarter-final win over Norway raised more doubts over England's performances but underlined their mentality - Wednesday's semi-final is between two teams that refuse to die.

Each boasts an attacking talisman in Harry Kane and Lionel Messi still capable of putting up elite numbers in the twilight of their international careers and both possess a younger attacking player growing in importance, Jude Bellingham and Julian Alvarez.

Both teams, above all, have scored their way through defensive problems rather than solved them, creating the prospect of the most open game of the tournament.

One man who will be taking a huge interest in this game is former England captain David Beckham.

The Three Lions icon is already in the stadium over an hour ahead of kick-off.

Marcus Rashford is the one man not named Jude Bellingham or Harry Kane to have scored for England at this World Cup.

His well-taken goal sealed last month's 4-2 victory over Croatia.

But despite Noni Madueke's poor showing against Norway and Bukayo Saka's fitness problems, he's still rooted to the bench.

Marc Guehi insists all of the pressure is on Argentina ahead of their World Cup semi-final showdown.

The Manchester City centre-back said: “There isn’t pressure on us. What’s the pressure? The onus is on them. They’re the World Champions. They need to come out, they need to defend their title. There’s no pressure on us at all.

A word on Ezri Konsa.

He's been excellent this tournament and was pushed out to right-back in the last game.

He's played every single minute for the Three Lions before tonight.

A real surprise, whether at right-back or centre-back, that he isn't starting.

The England boss has made some huge calls today and surely still has a few concerns. Can Reece James play 90 minutes? Can Declan Rice? And - of course - how will England stop Lionel Messi?

You feel tonight is huge for Declan Rice and he'll be arriving in Atlanta with a point to prove.

Subbed off at half-time on Saturday, he won't want the overriding memory of his tournament being a 45-minute display where, due to illness, he badly struggled.

It's history tonight for Harry Kane regardless of the outcome.

The striker will make his 121st appearance for England, becoming the Three Lions' most-capped men's outfielder.

FIFA has applied various new rules during World Cup 2026 as England prepares to face Argentina in the semi-finals.

Tournament structure: Three-minute hydration breaks at the midway point of each half in a 90-minute match.

Time-wasting measures: Goalkeepers have been given eight seconds after holding the ball and delaying a goal kick by more than five seconds also results in a corner to the opposing team.

Player conduct: Red cards are issued to any player speaking while covering their mouth in a confrontational situation and anyone who leaves the pitch to protest a refereeing decision.

And here's the Argentina side. Lionel Messi starts as expected, while Lisandro Martinez, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister are all included in Lionel Scaloni's starting XI.

And here's the team news we've all been waiting for. England boss Tuchel has indeed opted for a few changes vs Argentina.

Reece James and Djed Spence have been handed starts in place of Nico O'Reilly and Ezri Konsa. Morgan Rogers in the meantime has been named on the right-hand side instead of Bukayo Saka.

What are your thoughts?

The Three Lions have arrived in the Mercedes Benz Arena.

Led by skipper Harry Kane.

Six goals at the tournament for the Bayern Munich hero, England's all-time record goalscorer.

England and Argentina haven't met for over 20 years, but for some fans who grew up on the famous clashes of World Cups 1998 and 2002, it remains an intense rivalry.

Then there's the 'Hand of God' game in 1986, one of the most famous football matches of all time.

It appears as though the Atlanta Stadium will be dominated by Argentina fans and judging by the latest images, that might not be far wrong.

Ever seen a massive drum with Lionel Messi's face on it?

You have now!

So with the three changes to the starting XI, here's what tonight's lineup is expected to look like.

Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.

It'll see Tuchel stick with the 4-2-3-1 shape that has served so well during the tournament so far.