England v Argentina LIVE: Latest World Cup updates and Declan Rice fitness latest as security increased for semi-final

He explained: “If you see what Spain have done in the first match against Cape Verde [a 0-0 draw], forget about that, but in the rest Spain confirmed they are the favourite. I don’t want to add extra pressure to Luis [de la Fuente, the manager] and their team, he knows very well people are expecting greatly of their team.

“They can attack and defend very well, they only conceded one goal. Luis and myself, we know how to defend well but with the quality of the two teams offensively we could think it is going to be a spectacular game.”

As the beginnings of a Mexico City thunderstorm swirl high above, dark clouds circling like a slow-motion whirlpool, a pair of English fans do not give a jot.

It is three hours before Mexico face England in the most anticipated match at the Estadio Azteca in 40 years. Attendees are being warned to take cover as the police implement their electrical storm protocol. But these adults, merry on pure vibes, are engrossed in the most childlike of games: a chalk-drawn hopscotch on the gravel, outside the stadium’s Cabecera Norte end, with “Viva Mexico” at the top. And the locals, kids and adults alike, are loving it.

And when embarking on a lap of the outer perimeter of the World Cup’s most iconic venue before the blockbuster last-16 occasion, similar feel-good scenes are at every corner. Event volunteers dressed in blue and green form a Limbo dance opportunity for passers-by; half a dozen Mexican dance groups greet ticket holders to the south of the main entrance; Mexicans joust with English in gentle ribbing as they queue for entry into the arena.

It is an intoxicating, smile-inducing, dopamine-hitting environment. This is the essence of the biggest event in world sport: the amalgamation of different nationalities and cultures, old and young, male and female.

The most significant factor determining a referee appointment at the World Cup is their collective performance, as referees are usually paired with two assistant referees for the tournament.

This is a multi-year monitoring process by the Fifa Referees Committee, chaired by ex-World Cup final official Pierluigi Collina, considered one of the best referees of all time.

While form and correct decision-making are the primary elements, other geo-political factors are at play.

“I think he is good in any of those position,” Kane told the BBC.

“I think certain games will dictate a little bit differently but he’s a great goalscorer so playing as a ’10’ helps him in that sense in terms of arriving into the box, being higher up and in dangerous goal-scoring positions, kind of like his two goals against Norway – almost like striker goals.

“But also he’s so good as an ‘8’ – driving with the ball, defending up and down the pitch and he has that engine of a number 8 so really he is exceptional in both positions.

“I think the games will dictate what suits him more and that’s where you rely on the boss and the coaches to get that right.”

The battle within the battle for the golden boot is all but certain to go the final – here’s how the World Cup’s leading scorers stack up ahead of the semi-finals.

Naturally, there’ll be a focus on England’s quest to end a 60-year wait for World Cup success, but what of Argentina? As their fans chant about Messi, Maradona and the Falkland Islands, Ed Malyon examines the fears for the future that make this a crucial tournament for the defending champions.

To get ahead of ourselves entirely, who would England want in a World Cup final? Lawrence Ostlere, Kieran Jackson, Luke Baker and Alex Pattle answer that question here.

France and Spain are arguably the two defining footballing nations of the last 30 years – which makes this is an encounter with deeper significance, Richard Jolly writes:

The tactical battle in Dallas tonight could be fascinating. Miguel Delaney explores a fixture at the vanguard of the sport’s next evolution.

Kylian Mbappe emerged as something of a fitness doubt yesterday, though the France captain is set to be fit to feature.