The FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals stage is about to commence and we will see four teams fighting for the two spots in the final. Out of these four teams, Argentina and England will be clashing with each other in their semi-final match on July 16. Fans across the world are eagerly awaiting this legendary clash, particularly as they will see a Lionel Messi and Harry Kane face-off. While this will not be a Diego Maradona vs Gary Linekar type of rivalry which was driven by the Falklands War rather than any thing on the pitch, still, the current English team is looking at itself as title contender and this becomes a must-win game. And perhaps, they are still smarting from Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal and would like to even the score by winning.
Lionel Messi and Harry Kane have had an incredible run at the FIFA World Cup 2026, and it will be a true battle royale when these two titans clash on the field in the Argentina vs England semi-final match. Both Messi and Kane are the two captains of their respective nations.
The stats at the FIFA World Cup 2026 support dubbing of the Messi vs Kane match as "legendary". Here are the figures for both these players at the FIFA World Cup.
Harry Kane:
Position - Forward
Goals - 6
Assists - 1
Attempts on Target - 11
Attempts at Goal - 22
Lionel Messi:
Position - Forward
Goals - 8
Assists - 2
Attempts on Target - 19
Attempts at Goal - 33
Source: fifa.com
As is clear from the stats, both these forwards have had a great run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Messi being in top contention for the Golden Boot. Their clash is sure to gift fans across the globe a great game of football.
Who is the leading goal scorer at the FIFA World Cup 2026?
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are the leading goal scorers at this year's World Cup, tied at 8 goals each.
Who is in contention for the Golden Boot at the FIFA World Cup 2026?
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are the leading players in contention for the Golden Boot.
Who is the leading goal scorer for England at this year's World Cup?
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are the leading goal scorers for England at this year's World Cup, tied at 6 goals each.
Who scored the Hand of God goal and against whom?
Diego Maradona scored the Hand of God goal in the Argentina vs England tie in 1986.
Will Lionel Messi play in the Argentina vs England match?
Yes, Lionel Messi will play in the match.
Who has scored more goals, Lionel Messi or Harry Kane?
Lionel Messi has scored more goals than Harry Kane at 8.