Argentina’s Giuliano Simone has been named in the starting XI for the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final against England, bringing back memories of one of football’s most infamous moments.
Rodrigo De Paul’s replacement for the important match against Atlanta is the 23-year-old winger, who plays for Atlético de Madrid under the direction of his father. This is the only change in Argentina’s squad before the vital match.
The Simeone family has great importance in the history of the England vs Argentina matches. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match, Diego Simeone fouled Beckham, and then the young Beckham, retaliating from the ground, Simeone theatrically dropped to the ground. The youngster received a red card and England lost the match on penalties.
Now, after 28 years, Giuliano has the opportunity to write his own legacy in this fierce rivalry. The striker grew up in Argentina before moving to Spain in 2019 to join Atlético Madrid’s academy.
He was born in Rome when his father played for Lazio. Since then, he has worked his way up the ranks and secured a place in Lionel Scaloni’s World Cup squad.
Diego Simeone, who played 108 times for the Argentine national team, was seen watching his son’s matches throughout the competition. Simeone even posed with a smile alongside Beckham when he recently came to watch his son’s game in Miami, which some consider a symbol of reconciliation.
Giuliano has been selected to give more width to the Argentine team’s attacks in their attempt to qualify for tomorrow’s final against Spain.
The two rivals have not played a competitive match since the 2002 World Cup, making this semi-final one of the most anticipated encounters in the tournament’s history.
