The Numbers Behind England and Argentina’s Goalkeeping Struggles Ahead of World Cup Semi-Final

England and Argentina meet in Wednesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final, with a place in the final against Spain at stake.

While both footballing giants have shown flashes of their attacking quality throughout the tournament, neither side has consistently produced the level of performance many expected. Instead, both have relied on moments of brilliance in the final third to reach the last four.

One of the biggest surprises has come at the opposite end of the pitch. Jordan Pickford and Emiliano Martinez, two goalkeepers who have built reputations for thriving under international pressure, have both endured difficult tournaments by their usual standards.

With such fine margins separating the teams, whichever goalkeeper rediscovers his best form could prove decisive in determining who reaches Sunday’s final.

Pickford searching for his best form

For much of the past decade, Jordan Pickford has been one of England’s most dependable performers at major tournaments. However, his displays in North America have fallen below his usual high standards.

The Everton goalkeeper currently holds an average Flashscore rating of just 6.4, the lowest among England players to have featured regularly during the tournament.

The underlying numbers paint an even more concerning picture. Pickford’s goals prevented figure sits at -2.4, the second-lowest among goalkeepers who have played at least 270 minutes. In simple terms, England have conceded around 2.5 more goals than expected based on the quality of shots he has faced.

Although he has avoided any major high-profile mistakes, Pickford has been beaten by several efforts he would normally be expected to save, including Croatia’s opener, DR Congo’s goal and Norway’s fortunate strike.

Across England’s six matches, he has faced 18 shots on target, saving 12 while conceding six goals. He has also been credited with one error leading to a shot against Norway and one error leading directly to a goal versus DR Congo.

His two clean sheets required relatively little work. Against Panama he made only two saves, while Ghana failed to register a shot on target.

There have still been encouraging moments. During England’s dramatic victory over Mexico, Pickford produced two outstanding saves to deny Raul Jimenez before making several crucial sweeping interventions late in the match to protect his penalty area.

Those moments are reflected in his aggressive goalkeeping statistics. Pickford has made 10 punches during the tournament—more than every goalkeeper except one—and well above the tournament average of 2.6. He has also recorded seven sweeps and three high claims, highlighting his willingness to leave his line.

That proactive approach, however, has occasionally lacked conviction, with several punches against Norway creating unnecessary danger despite ultimately going unpunished.

In possession, Pickford has continued to favour longer passes towards Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, attempting to launch England’s attacks quickly, albeit with mixed success.

England will hope their first-choice goalkeeper can rediscover the consistency that has made him one of their most trusted tournament performers.

Martinez also below his usual standards

Argentina have experienced similar concerns between the posts.

Emiliano Martinez has been one of the world’s most reliable international goalkeepers in recent years, famously playing a decisive role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph, including his unforgettable late save in the final before starring in the penalty shootout.

His performances at this tournament, however, have been unusually inconsistent.

Martinez has averaged a 6.6 Flashscore rating, making him one of Argentina’s lowest-rated regular starters. His goals prevented figure of -1.52 suggests he has conceded at least one goal more than expected based on the shots faced.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper has also allowed six goals from just 14 shots on target, meaning opponents have scored with almost half of their efforts on target.

Like Pickford, Martinez’s clean sheets have come in relatively quiet matches. Algeria failed to register a shot on target, while Austria managed just one.

Where Martinez has remained dependable is in commanding his penalty area. He has successfully completed all four high claims, both of his sweeping actions and his only punch during the tournament.

Unlike Pickford, however, Martinez adopts a far less aggressive style, preferring to stay on his line unless intervention is absolutely necessary.

His distribution also differs noticeably. Rather than playing directly into central attacking areas, Martinez frequently builds play down Argentina’s left flank, creating space for Lionel Messi to influence attacks from the opposite side.

Improvement will be essential

Whoever progresses from Wednesday’s semi-final is likely to face the tournament’s strongest defensive side.

Spain secured their place in the final after defeating France and have conceded just one goal throughout the competition.

Much of that defensive solidity has been built on the performances of Unai Simon, who has enjoyed an outstanding tournament.

The Spain goalkeeper has saved 11 of the 12 shots he has faced and carries an average Flashscore rating of 7.0, comfortably outperforming both Pickford and Martinez statistically.

As England and Argentina prepare for one of the biggest matches of the tournament, both managers will know that elite goalkeeping often decides knockout football.

Whether it is Pickford or Martinez, one of these experienced internationals will likely need to produce their best performance of the World Cup to send their country into Sunday’s final.