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A tango instructor ignores fatigue
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has defended his side’s level at the 2026 World Cup, dismissing criticism of the reigning champions’ performance and insisting their semi-final berth was no fluke, ahead of Wednesday’s clash with England.
Argentina reached the semi-finals by topping their group, beating Algeria, Austria and Jordan, and beating Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland in the qualifiers.
But the journey was not easy for the Tango Dancers as the team needed two more games to overcome Cape Verde and Switzerland and overcame a two-goal deficit against Egypt in the round of 16 under captain Lionel Messi, who is set to play his first career match against England.
Argentina will be competing in the semi-finals for the fourth time in a row, after reaching this stage in 2014, 2018 and 2022, when they won the title in Qatar. It will also enter the match backed by its triumph in the 2021 and 2024 Copa America titles.
Playing perfect is not about me
Scaloni said at the press conference held on the eve of the match. “The national team is not playing so badly, as some say, we must have done something good to get to this stage.”
“I am grateful to the players. They are the ones who took us to three titles and here we are in the semi-finals. We are one step away from the final and we will do everything to reach it.”
Scaloni emphasized that the method of performance no longer occupies his mind as much as the importance of continuing in the tournament, saying: “Honestly, I don’t think about whether we are playing in the ideal way that I wanted. A month and a half ago, I would have agreed to reach the semi-finals in any way.”
Tiredness doesn’t matter. I’d be crazy then
He continued. “I don’t care about the situation we are in, whether we are tired or not. We are in the semi-finals of the World Cup and that alone makes us excited. Everyone is happy and we are ready to play the match.”
The Argentinian coach refused to link the game to historical and political differences between his country and England, particularly over the 1982 Falkland Islands War.
He said: “The truth is that this is a football match. I can’t mess things up in honor of what happened so many years ago. It was a sad period in our history and we cannot change it.”
“What is happening in other parts of the world makes us reject wars, so it would be crazy for me to consider this match more than just a football match. Of course, we remember those who experienced those events, but we should not confuse football with history.”
The winner of the Argentina-England match will face the Spanish national team in the finals of the World Cup on July 19.
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