England midfielder Declan Rice is a staple for the Three Lions, and he’s come up huge at the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup.
Rice even had to move to right-back on the fly during England’s 2-1 win over DR Congo in the Round of 32, which he described as “the hardest 12 minutes of the game.” If only the Arsenal star knew what he’d be up against come the quarterfinal.
England manager Thomas Tuchel subbed Rice off just before halftime, and after England’s 2-1 win over Norway, Tuchel revealed why.
“We had to take Elliot [Anderson] or Declan out [and] knowing that Declan struggled after the last three days where he was most of the time in bed,” Tuchel said, per BBC Sport. “I knew he cannot survive 90 minutes.”
Rice should be more impactful when England face off against Argentina in the semifinal on Wednesday, July 15.
“Rice had spent three days in bed with a sickness bug and that showed amid the heat and humidity of Miami,” Craig Hope reported for the Daily Mail. “However, Daily Mail Sport understands that the 27-year-old is feeling much better and trained with his teammates on Monday. Rice has also been managing hamstring and back pain but is confident he can start when England take on the world champions in Atlanta.”
The Three Lions have been through a gauntlet to get to the semifinal, with their two most recent matches being the most grueling.
England squared off with Mexico at the vaunted Azteca in the Round of 16 and, despite having to play with 10 men for most of the second half, walked away as the first team to win against the home team at the Azteca since 2013. Norway gave England everything, forcing extra time, in an extremely hot and humid Miami that England captain Harry Kane called “harder than Mexico.”
And now, the Three Lions will have to go through Lionel Messi and the defending champions as they continue on their quest to bring the Cup home for the first time since 1966.
France and Spain will face off in the other semifinal, with the World Cup final scheduled for Sunday, July 19.