ATLANTA — Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni shut down criticism over the way his team has played throughout the FIFA World Cup ahead of the semifinal against England on Wednesday.
“The team isn’t playing as bad as people say. We must have done something right to reach this stage,” Scaloni said on Tuesday in response to suggestions his team hasn’t been at its best. “I’m grateful to the players. They’ve led us to three titles and now another semifinal. We’re just one step away, and we’re going to give it our all to get there.”
Argentina topped Group J by defeating Algeria, Austria and Jordan, before going on to eliminate Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland in the World Cup knockout rounds. However, the defending champions needed extra time to beat Cape Verde and Switzerland and a stunning rally — led by star Lionel Messi, who is facing England for the first time in his career — from 2-0 down to advance past Egypt in the round of 16.
The semifinal with England represents the fourth-consecutive Argentina have reached this stage after appearances in 2014, 2018 and when they won it all in 2022 in Qatar. Argentina have also won the last two editions of the Copa America in 2021 and 2024.
“Honestly, I don’t dwell on whether we’re in the exact way I wanted to play,” Scaloni said. “Because a month-and-a-half ago, I would have jumped at the chance to be in a World Cup semifinal, getting there however possible.
“It doesn’t matter to me. So, the state we’re in doesn’t matter. I have no complaints. Whether we’re tired or not, it makes no difference. We’re in a World Cup semifinal. Now, I’m incredibly excited, we all are happy. We look at the condition we’re in, and we’re ready to play the match.”
When asked about the tension between the two countries — specifically the dispute over the Falkland Islands in 1982 — Scaloni said the team will only be focusing on the sporting aspect of the match between Argentina and England, putting aside the two nations’ political history.
“The reality is that this is a football match. I can’t mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened so many years ago” Scaloni said. “It was a very sad period in our history, and there isn’t much we can do about it, that’s the reality.
“It is a football match. There’s no getting around that. Things are happening elsewhere in the world, and we criticize the existence of war, so for me to start saying this is anything more than a football match… it seems crazy to me. We certainly remember those people, of course. But it is a football match; we shouldn’t confuse the two.”
The winner of the semifinal between Argentina and England will face Spain in the World Cup final on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
