Both teams could be said not to have reached their peak in the tournament as yet, but they have also fought and scrapped their way into the last four, with a never-say-die attitude that deserves plaudits.
Tuchel's message couldn't have been clearer
Thomas Tuchel's post-match interview after the win over Norway may have taken Jude Bellingham and others by surprise, but the strength of the message from the German couldn't have been clearer.
The Three Lions are aiming to win FIFA's showpiece for the first time in 60 years, and whilst Tuchel clearly believes his squad can achieve that, he wants to ensure that every player is kept on their toes and hungry for the title.
Perhaps England have settled for being glorious losers in the past, but that's clearly not in the Germans' vocabulary.
He could become only the fourth manager to reach a World Cup final with a nation other than their home country, and he would be the first since 1978 to do so, when Austrian Ernst Happel took the Netherlands to the final against Argentina.
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An edge to this fixture since the 'Hand of God'
This fixture, too, will demand the very best of Tuchel's team, and of Lionel Scaloni's star-studded squad.
Ever since the 'Hand of God' game in 1986, there has been an edge to the meetings between these two countries.
Who can forget Michael Owen's stunning goal in the same 1998 match where David Beckham was sent off, or the latter's penalty to win the last World Cup fixture against Argentina in 2002?
With so much at stake, this latest encounter promises to have all of the drama of the previous match-ups, and the outcome could hinge on one moment of magic.
Messi magic, brilliant Bellingham
Lionel Messi continues to delight for La Albiceleste, and his eight goals so far have him in joint first place in the race for the Golden Boot.
As a squad, Argentina already have 17 goals to their name at this tournament, more than any other nation, and just two more will see them beat their own previous best of 18, set way back in 1930.
With 12 goals between the pair of them so far, England owe a huge debt of gratitude to Harry Kane and Bellingham, who'll both be hoping to add to their tallies in what could be a famous win for the Three Lions.
Bellingham's two braces in his last two games mean that only Peru’s Teofilo Cubillas has more as a midfielder at World Cups (three).
Fourth semi for England since 2018
Kane will make his 121st appearance for England in Atlanta, and that will make him the holder of the most caps for outfielders. Five more in due course would then see him surpass the current record appearance holder, Peter Shilton's 125.
Anthony Gordon's performances have gone somewhat under the radar as a result, but 10 dribbles attempted against Norway meant that he became the first England player to attempt 10-plus dribbles in a World Cup match since 2002, when Darius Vassell did so against Sweden.
Whether or not England progress, there has certainly been progression overall, which shouldn't be overlooked when the review of the tournament takes place.
Since 2018, the Three Lions have made it to four major tournament semi-finals, which is the same number as they'd managed in their entire history prior to that run, suggesting that the powers that be at the top of the English game are finally getting things right.
Argentina have progressed in all five previous World Cup semi-finals
Scaloni will want to ensure that England don't make it to their first World Cup final since 1966, however, and if the former West Ham man does precisely that, he'll become just the seventh manager to manage in two World Cup finals, replicating countryman Carlos Bilardo in 1986 and 1990, amongst others.
For all the positivity surrounding England at present, it's worth noting that in Argentina's five previous World Cup semi-finals, they've progressed in all of them, indicating the task that Tuchel and Co. have ahead of them.
It's the first time that Lionel Messi will have faced England, too, and he does so not only in fine scoring form, but also having assisted Alexis Mac Allister in the quarter-final against Switzerland to see him become only the second player (since 1966) to rack up 10-plus goal contributions in multiple World Cups (2022 and 2026). Kylian Mbappe (also 2022 and 2026) is the other.
Intriguingly, the last time that the Three Lions lost to Argentina was in that infamous 1986 match, and they've won the last two fixtures between the sides.
History favours England
In fact, England are unbeaten in 90 minutes against La Albiceleste in their last five matches, and of the 14 total meetings to date, six have been won by England, six have been drawn, and Argentina have only won two.
With the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez also in great form alongside Messi, only a third-ever win over the Three Lions certainly isn't beyond the Argentines.
Whoever does eventually triumph, it's clear that this game isn't going to be for the faint of heart, with the team that's willing to go to hell and back and give absolutely everything being the one to make it into Sunday's showpiece.
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Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.
