O'Reilly in squad as England face Argentina in World Cup semi-final

Semi-final night, O'Reilly in the squad

It all comes down to tonight. England face Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, and Nico O'Reilly is in Thomas Tuchel's squad (1). That is a Manchester City academy player on the edge of a World Cup final. Tuchel has a plan for Lionel Messi, man-marking, inspired by how Liverpool shut him down, and Jude Bellingham has been at the centre of everything this tournament (2). The fixture carries history: Maradona, the Falklands, the 'Hand of God'. Geoff Hurst has called it England's toughest test yet.

The road to this moment

Your team opened the tournament with a 4–2 win over Croatia at Dallas Stadium (2). Then a nervy 2–1 against DR Congo in Atlanta in the Round of 32 (2). Each result built toward tonight, England's biggest match in decades, with a London victory parade already being planned should Tuchel's side go through.

Bellingham, Messi, Kane, who makes the combined XI?

With two squads stacked to the ceiling, the combined XI question is inevitable. Bellingham, Messi, Kane, the names write themselves. Argentina are in their fifth consecutive semi-final under Lionel Scaloni, and Messi has never faced England before. Harry Kane's form means a Bayern or Inter player will reach the final regardless of tonight's result (3).

Fan reactions

City fans in the Reddit match thread are locked in on their own: Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly, and James Trafford are all in the England squad for tonight's semi-final. The academy pride is unmistakable. Join the thread here.