England and Argentina’s semi-final marked a historic milestone as the first World Cup match without a shot on target before halftime since record-keeping began in 1966. The match commenced with a physical contest in Atlanta.

Both teams combined for 19 fouls, with Argentina committing 12 and England seven, during a tense opening 45 minutes in their first World Cup meeting since 2002.

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The match did not witness any attempt on goal until the 33rd minute when John Stones sent a header wide. Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez also failed to find the target, shooting over the crossbar. Both goalkeepers, Jordan Pickford and Emiliano Martinez, remained untested in the first half.

Despite the high foul count, referee Ismail Elfath issued only two yellow cards: one to England’s Elliot Anderson for a foul on Lionel Messi and another to Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez.

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson criticized Elfath’s performance, arguing that the referee had been excessively lenient. He stated, “That’s one of the worst refereeing performances I’ve seen at this World Cup. He didn’t get a grip of the game from the start.”

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“He’s let so much go and the two coaches are not happy either. England have had to stick in this game because it has been tough. There’s a clear game plan. There’s been no real flow to the game.”

Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham was seen dismissing aggression from Argentina’s Leandro Parades during the heated start to the semi-final.

The first 20 minutes of play were marred by fouls, following a long buildup to the resumption of England and Argentina’s prominent rivalry.

Anderson faced multiple fouls early on and found himself entangled with Chelsea’s Fernandez.

Giuliano Simeone, son of Diego Simeone, who famously led to David Beckham’s red card in 1998, also fell after a light push from England’s Pickford.

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Argentina’s players aimed to provoke their English counterparts off the ball, with Bellingham caught in an early altercation.

As tensions soared prior to the match, England’s national anthem was overshadowed by Argentine jeers and chants, to which Three Lions supporters retaliated, reflecting the historical rivalry intensified by the conflict over the Falkland Islands that adds complexity to their storied confrontation.