Argentina are one victory away from reaching a second successive World Cup final and a third in four tournaments, with old foes England standing in their way in the semifinals. If Lionel Messi and Co. get past the Three Lions and set up a showdown with Spain, six of their stars could find themselves upsetting many of their own club’s fans.

There are six Premier League players on Argentina’s roster for the 2026 World Cup, five of whom are expected to start against England.

Argentina stars set for club rivalries against England

Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez of Aston Villa, who began his professional career with Arsenal, is La Albiceleste’s undisputed No. 1 goalkeeper and will be up against club teammates Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero and Manchester United’s Lisandro Martínez have formed Argentina’s first-choice center-back pairing at the World Cup. Romero’s new Spurs teammate Marco Senesi, previously of Bournemouth, serves as back-up.

Romero and Senesi will be hoping to get one over on England defender Djed Spence, also of Tottenham, while Martínez goes head to head with fellow United players Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo.

The Argentina midfield, meanwhile, features Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández. Surprisingly, there are no Reds in the England squad, but there are two Blues, Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah.

Atlético Madrid could be affected in potential final

Should the South Americans come out on top against England, even more of their stars could face a similar predicament in the final against Spain.

No fewer than six members of the roster, Julián Álvarez, Giuliano Simeone, Nico González, Thiago Almada, Nahuel Molina and Juan Musso, play for Atlético Madrid, while Giovanni Lo Celso is under contract with Real Betis.

Only three players, River Plate duo Nicolás Otamendi and Gonzalo Montiel, and Boca Juniors’ Leandro Paredes, play for Argentine clubs.

Of course, Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, two of the team’s biggest names, ply their trade in MLS with Inter Miami.

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