Argentina happy to be in the semifinal of the World Cup, coach Scaloni says | World Cup 2026 news

Argentina are in good form and are not worried about fatigue as the world champions seek their last booking.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni says he is not concerned about fatigue or his team’s performance ahead of the FIFA World Cup as they prepare to resume their campaign against England on Wednesday.

The World Cup holders will be aiming to reach back-to-back finals by beating Thomas Tuchel’s team in a match that dates back to 1986 with Diego Maradona, as well as an independence dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.

“We are good, and we can’t wait. This is the semifinal of the World Cup, and our hope is not there. We are very grateful to these players for getting us here again,” Scaloni told reporters on the eve of the show in Atlanta.

Argentina, who have an aging team led by 39-year-old Lionel Messi, have battled a tough road to get here.

Twice they scored again before defeating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time. They then needed a late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta, before needing half an hour of extra time to beat 10-man Switzerland 3-1 last Saturday.

“A month and a half ago, I would have gone to the semifinals if you had given me, so I don’t care how we got here,” said Scaloni, who coached the Albiceleste to glory in 2022.

“I can’t blame my players. Whether we are tired or not, I don’t care. This is the last game of the World Cup.”

England and Argentina have clashed in the last five World Cups, most notably in the 1986 quarter-finals when Diego Maradona opened the scoring with the infamous “Hand of God” before ending up victorious.

“I think everyone remembers the game, and how Diego did it, above all, the second goal, which will remain in all our hearts because it was so beautiful,” said Scaloni.

“It was a great goal, and every football fan remembers it that way. And it was just against England.”

The conflict began on the same day in Mexico City, with the match being played four years after Britain sent an army in 1982 to retake the Falkland Islands after an invasion by Argentine troops.

Scaloni in recent days has tried to ensure that politics does not come out of the semifinal.

“The reality is that this is a football game. I don’t cover everything, especially about things that happened a long time ago,” he said.

It was the saddest time in our history, and we can’t do much. This is a football game;

Meanwhile, the former West Ham United midfielder admitted his side will have a huge task in trying to stop England midfielders Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who have accounted for 12 of their side’s 13 goals in the competition.

“We are always looking at what we can do better and how we can reduce these big players in a good way, maybe we will change, but it is also possible to play one team.

“They are two great players, among the best players in the world. Any coach would want to have them.”