“Team isn’t playing as bad as people say”: Scaloni defends Argentina’s FIFA World Cup campaign ahead of England semi-final

Atlanta (Georgia) [US], July 15 (ANI): Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni brushed aside criticism of his side's performances at the FIFA World Cup 2026, insisting the defending champions have earned their place in the semi-finals and are fully focused on overcoming England to reach another final, reported ESPN.
Argentina will take on England in a blockbuster last-four clash in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time), with the winners advancing to face Spain in the World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19.
Speaking ahead of the contest, Scaloni defended his team's displays after questions were raised over Argentina's performances despite a perfect record of six wins from six matches.
"The team isn't playing as bad as people say. We must have done something right to reach this stage," Scaloni said, according to ESPN.
The World Cup-winning coach praised his players for maintaining Argentina's remarkable run of success over the past few years.
"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 with victories over Algeria, Austria and Jordan before overcoming Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland in the knockout rounds. While the defending champions needed extra time to beat both Cape Verde and Switzerland, they also staged a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down to defeat Egypt in the Round of 16.
Scaloni admitted that the style of play is secondary at this stage of the competition, with results taking precedence.
"Honestly, I don't dwell on whether we're in the exact way I wanted to play," Scaloni said, as per ESPN. "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."
He added, "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."
Wednesday's encounter will mark Argentina's fourth consecutive World Cup semi-final appearance, following runs to the last four in 2014, 2018 and their triumphant campaign in Qatar in 2022. Scaloni's side has also captured back-to-back Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
The match also revives one of football's fiercest rivalries, but Scaloni insisted political history, including the 1982 Falklands War, has no place in the sporting contest.
"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.
He continued, "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 criticise 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," he concluded.
England, meanwhile, reached the semi-finals after coming from behind to beat Norway 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals. Thomas Tuchel's side are seeking their first World Cup final since their 1966 triumph, while Argentina will look to extend their 12-match winning streak at the World Cup and move one step closer to successfully defending their title. (ANI)