It is 28 years since Argentina ended my World Cup dream at France ’98 – and it still hurts now.
I can still picture their players dancing and celebrating next to us as both teams waited to get on their buses after our epic last-16 tie. We had come so close to beating them, but we fell on the wrong side of a penalty shootout, and we were going home.
I was captain and it was tough to take, not just personally but because we had an outstanding team and I felt we had an opportunity at that tournament to make a real statement on the world stage.
I feel the same way about this England side now as they prepare for Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta (20:00 BST), with a chance to change their lives forever.
They are two wins away from immortality, and the fact it is Argentina we face again first just adds more spice to an already incredible occasion.
There is something special about playing them at a World Cup because of the great rivalry between us and the drama and the controversy of our defeats in the quarter-finals in 1986 and then the one in 1998 I played in.
But it is even more exciting when there is a place in the final at stake. Especially because standing in our way is the little genius himself Lionel Messi – arguably the greatest player of all time, who has never faced England before.
This is the mouth-watering tie we wanted, and I definitely think we can win it… it does not really matter how.
Our players just have to make sure they land on the right side of the result this time, and ensure they are not talking like me about what could or should have been, 28 years from now.
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‘I would not be surprised if we saw another red card’
Thinking about Wednesday’s game takes me back to Saint-Etienne in 1998, which was one of the most memorable matches I ever played in, and certainly one of the most talked about.
There were so many sub-plots that night at Stade Geoffroy Guichard, from Michael Owen’s amazing goal to their brilliant free-kick, then David Beckham’s red card, us playing for 75 minutes with 10 men and Sol Campbell having a goal disallowed, before the agony of losing on penalties.
It was an unbelievable night with everything that happened and, while I know I should be over it by now, I still don’t think the best team won.
What happened to us then should be a warning to England now, because these are the kind of games where tempers can boil over and affect the result.
I would not be surprised at all if we saw another red card this time too, but I am slightly concerned where the refereeing will be at, and how VAR might impact us.
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It feels like there has been a huge shift in the narrative from referees and VAR as the tournament has gone on and there have been some bizarre decisions, including some that have gone Argentina’s way.
The one that ruled out Egypt’s goal against them in the last 16, because of a foul at the other end of the pitch, was just astonishing and I just hope for both teams there is no more controversy in this tie.
It will be a red-hot atmosphere, and it will be hard enough for England playing 11 v 11, so cool heads will be imperative.
I know how hard it is not to react in the heat of the battle but we cannot afford to do anything rash that might give the referee or VAR the chance to get involved.
England v Argentina
Fifa World Cup 2026 semi-final
15 July, 20:00 BST
Watch live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer (UHD coverage available) from 19:00 BST. Listen to build-up and full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 18:00 BST. Follow TV and radio coverage, plus live text updates, in-play video clips, post-match highlights and analysis on the BBC Sport website and app.
Which superstar will settle it?
I don’t think Argentina have played great football to get this far, but they have scored some great goals. They are an experienced and streetwise team, and they are also the defending champions.
They are not as good as they were when they won it four years ago, but what they have been great at is always finding some way to get a result when they have needed it.
Having Messi up top obviously helps. Everything Argentina do goes through him, and they always look for where he is whenever they win the ball.
How do you stop him? Well, using someone like Djed Spence to mark him man-to-man and track him wherever he goes would be one option, but I think England will stick with the same shape they have used in their previous six games.
So, instead of someone focusing on following Messi, it will probably be a matter of one or two of our players getting across to him to limit his space whenever he gets the ball.
There will be other battles going on all over the pitch as well so, for England to win, we will have to do more than just keep Messi quiet, but if we can do that then obviously we have got a much better chance.
Still, if I am going to mention Messi, I have to speak about our superstars too. Harry Kane has been brilliant, while Jude Bellingham is having the tournament of his life.
Like Messi, Bellingham has won four man-of-the-match awards – or Superior Player of the Match as Fifa likes to call them – so far, which is incredible.
They are both in the conversation for the player of the tournament and they are both match-winners. You have to think that, whoever goes through to the final, one of them will play a huge part.
I am backing England to make it – I think we will have enough to beat Argentina, because we will cause them more problems than they will cause us – but there is no way I am expecting it to be straightforward.
None of our games at this World Cup have been easy or even comfortable up until now, with maybe the exception of the second half of our opening match against Croatia, and I don’t see this one being any different.
I will be there again, co-commentating with Guy Mowbray and my message to the viewers back home would be strap yourself in – it could be a wonderful evening for us all, but it will definitely be a bumpy ride.
Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan
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