Atlanta, 15 July (H.S.):

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has dismissed criticism of his team's performances ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal against England, saying that reaching the last four with six consecutive victories is the strongest proof of the reigning world champions' quality.

Scaloni said Argentina's unbeaten run and place in the semifinals speak for themselves despite growing scrutiny over the team's performances during the tournament.

Although Argentina have won all six of their matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, questions have been raised over their displays. The team needed extra time to overcome Cape Verde in the Round of 32 and Switzerland in the quarterfinals, while it staged a comeback from a 2-0 deficit against Egypt in the Round of 16.

Rejecting the criticism during the pre-match press conference, Scaloni said, The team is not playing as badly as people are saying. If we have come this far, it is obvious that we have done many things right.

Praising his players, Scaloni added, I am grateful to my players. They have helped us win three major titles and have now taken us to another World Cup semifinal. We are just one victory away from the final, and we will give everything we have to get there. He stressed that at this stage of the competition, results matter more than attractive football.

He further said, Honestly, I am not concerned about whether we are playing exactly the way I had envisioned. If someone had told me a month and a half ago that we would be in the World Cup semifinals, I would have accepted reaching this stage by any means.

Now we are in the World Cup semifinals, and that is what matters most. We are all extremely excited and happy. The team is fully prepared to face the challenge with the squad we have, he said.

The Argentina-England clash is regarded as one of international football's fiercest rivalries. The 1982 Falklands War and several memorable World Cup encounters have added historical significance to the fixture. However, Scaloni insisted that politics and history should remain separate from football.

The truth is that this is just a football match. We respect what happened many years ago, but I cannot mix the two, he said.

That was a very painful chapter in our history, and we cannot change it now. But this is only a football match. There are wars taking place in many parts of the world, and we have always opposed war. Looking at this game through any other lens would not be appropriate, he added.

Scaloni continued, We certainly remember those who were affected, but this is a football match. The two should not be mixed.

Argentina finished on top of Group J after defeating Algeria, Austria, and Jordan in the group stage. They then overcame Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland in the knockout rounds to book their place in the semifinals.

The reigning world champions have now won 12 consecutive World Cup matches and are just two victories away from successfully defending their title.

Argentina will take on England in the semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday. The winner will face Spain in the FIFA World Cup final at New York–New Jersey Stadium on July 19.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar