England stands accused by the Argentinian press of showing a lack of respect ahead of their World Cup semi-final clash, following remarks from former England players Ian Wright and Joe Cole. The two nations are set to face each other for the first time in 21 years in Atlanta.
Wright stated he does not fear Argentina, while Cole claimed England's defense would neutralize Lionel Messi. These sentiments have reportedly led to backlash in Buenos Aires, with the publication Ole running the headline: "England is downplaying us - respect the pecking order." The Argentinian media suggested a "sense of triumphalism" among the English press and former players, while also noting a public disagreement between English star Bellingham and manager Tuchel.
Argentina has won the World Cup three times since England's last victory 60 years ago and has eliminated England twice in past tournaments, notably in 1986 and 1998. Despite this historical context, Wright expressed confidence that England would win, stating on Stick to Football, "I don't fear Argentina like I'd fear France or Spain, because I think there are a lot of fallacies with them." He suggested Argentina has appeared vulnerable defensively, relying on Messi's brilliance in recent matches.
Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole echoed this confidence on The Rest is Football, asserting that England's center-back pairing would be able to contain Messi. "We're going to have to put him to sleep," Cole said. "We're going to reach the World Cup final. We've got plenty of speed for Argentina and we're going to beat them."
The semi-final encounter is anticipated to be intense, particularly after Argentinian players were filmed singing about beating England "for the Falklands" following their quarter-final victory over Switzerland. That match itself was surrounded by controversy, with Switzerland's manager and players expressing frustration with the refereeing, calling the game "incomprehensible" and "one-sided."
England enters the semi-final on a strong run, having defeated Norway. Jude Bellingham scored both goals in England's 2-1 victory. Manager Thomas Tuchel's post-match comments calling his players "lucky" drew a bemused reaction from Bellingham, who suggested the manager might not fully appreciate the challenges of top-level competition.