World Cup 2026: what they say in England about Scaloni’s Argentina before the semifinals

Argentina and England will write a new chapter in one of the most emblematic rivalries in international football when they face each other in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup. Beyond the historical weight of this classic, in England the prior analysis focuses on the present of the team led by Lionel Scaloni, a team that has shown character to overcome difficult moments and remain in the fight for the back-to-back championship.

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British press: criticism of performance and controversy with refereeing

After Argentina’s qualification against Switzerland, several British media reacted harshly. The tabloid The Sun even claimed that Argentina “played with twelve players,” insinuating that referee João Pinheiro favored the world champion and even scrutinizing actions such as the clash between Breel Embolo and Leandro Paredes. That reading fueled the idea that La Albiceleste advances with refereeing help, a classic discourse before heated matches.radiomitre.

The BBC, more moderate but equally critical, stated that Argentina is a team that “finds a way to win,” although it considered that they are not showing their best football version in this World Cup. In that context, several analyses place England as the favorite to reach the final, especially due to the generational renewal and the good form of their offensive stars.

Former English players: confidence, provocations, and focus on weaknesses

The buildup also heats up with statements from former figures like Ian Wright and Gary Neville, who spoke about the clash with Argentina without beating around the bush. Wright assured that La Albiceleste “does not scare him as much as France or Spain” and that “it has many weaknesses,” installing the idea that the world champion is far from its 2022 version.

Gary Neville, for his part, stated that he sees no way England “does not score at least two goals” in the semifinal, and directly pointed to the Argentine central duo of Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez, whom he dubbed “the best-worst central pairing in the world” due to their ups and downs between the sublime and the risky. Joining this chorus is the phrase of a historic Englishman who, in another interview, assured: “We are better than Argentina,” reinforcing the message of British superiority in the buildup.

The message to Messi: “We are going to send him to sleep”

In the realm of the most provocative phrases, former midfielder Joe Cole was the one who raised the temperature to the maximum by warning, on a popular football program, that England will “send Messi to sleep.” The phrase, launched amid laughter, had a clear target: the Argentine captain, who for the first time faces the English team in a World Cup stage.

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Cole shared the panel with figures like Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards, who tried to temper the provocation by recalling that these predictions can backfire if the result does not follow. Even so, the warning remained in headlines and social media, adding an extra emotional component to a duel that already carried historical tension from the 80s and 90s.

What players and coach say: respect and “one game at a time”

Facing the media effervescence, the message coming from inside the English squad is much more cautious. Asked about a possible clash with Argentina before confirming qualification, players like Bukayo Saka and other leaders emphasized that “first we have to beat Norway” and that they are not willing to look too far ahead in a World Cup that has been breaking predictions.

Coach Thomas Tuchel also chose caution when asked about Argentina amid celebrations for the win against Mexico: he said his focus was on enjoying the qualification and that he would only think about what comes next afterward, avoiding fueling the buildup with phrases that could be interpreted as disrespect. That contrast between the internal discourse (“one game at a time,” respect for the champion) and the external rhetoric (provocations, comparisons) is part of the atmosphere surrounding the semifinal.

A classic also played on the microphones

The Argentina–England clash for the 2026 World Cup semifinals will be played on Wednesday, July 15, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and many already describe it as one of the matches most loaded with history and narrative of the tournament. Two days before the match, it is clear that the duel is played both in training and on the microphones: while Argentina tries to isolate itself from the noise, in England football respect, confidence, and calculated provocation mix.radiomitre.

For La Albiceleste, these statements can serve as extra fuel; for England, they are part of a strategy to assert that the English project feels ready to overcome the world champion. What happens on the pitch will determine if phrases like “we are better than Argentina” or “we are going to send Messi to sleep” remain simple pre-match folklore or as a prelude to a night that, whoever wins, will add to the long history of a classic that transcends generations.

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