Scaloni urges Argentina to separate football from Falklands history ahead of England semi-final

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has moved to separate sport from politics ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against England, insisting the match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta must not be conflated with the two nations’ bitter history over the Falkland Islands.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Scaloni acknowledged the weight of that history while firmly drawing a line under it. “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,” he said. “It was a very sad period in our history, and there isn’t much we can do about it. 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 we shouldn’t confuse the two.”

Tension remains among supporters on both sides ahead of the hotly anticipated last-four clash, though Scaloni appears determined to keep his squad’s attention on the pitch rather than the political backdrop.

The Argentina coach also pushed back against criticism of his side’s performances, despite the reigning champions winning all six of their matches at this tournament. “The team isn’t playing as bad as people say. We must have done something right to reach this stage,” he said. “I’m grateful to the players. They’ve led us to three titles and now another semi-final. We’re just one step away, and we’re going to give it our all to get there.”

Scaloni dismissed concerns over fatigue with equal conviction. “I don’t care how we’re feeling. We’re in a World Cup semi-final. A month and a half ago, I would’ve signed up for this without hesitation. The goal was to get here by any means necessary, and here we are.”

For England, the stakes are equally historic. They have not appeared in a World Cup final since lifting the trophy on home soil in 1966, and the two nations have not met competitively since the 2002 World Cup. Their last encounter came in a 2005 friendly in Geneva, which England won 3-2.

The winner will face Spain in the final in New Jersey, with Argentina chasing a fourth World Cup title and England seeking only their second.