Kansas City, July 12 (IANS) Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni played down the historical rivalry with England ahead of their blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal, insisting that the highly anticipated encounter is ‘just a football match’ and should not be turned into something more.

The defending champions booked their place in the last four after a hard-fought 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Argentina struggled for long periods before eventually finding a way through, with a red card for the Swiss proving to be a key turning point in the contest.

The victory set up a semifinal showdown with England on Thursday at Atlanta Stadium, adding another chapter to one of the World Cup’s most storied rivalries. However, Scaloni sought to lower the temperature ahead of the high-profile clash.

“It’s just a football match; let’s not make it something else. We’re playing a great team, led by a great coach who I appreciate and admire a lot. It’s just a football match, nothing else,” he said after the match, as quoted by Buenos Aires Herald.

Argentina and England have been involved in several tense and iconic World Cup encounters over the years. England won their controversial 1966 quarterfinal 1-0, a match remembered for the sending-off of Argentina captain Antonio Rattin.

Their 1986 quarterfinal became one of the most famous matches in football history, with Diego Maradona scoring both the controversial “Hand of God” goal and the celebrated “Goal of the Century” in Argentina’s 2-1 victory.

The two sides met again in the round of 16 in 1998, when Argentina advanced on penalties following a 2-2 draw in a match that saw England’s David Beckham sent off. England then secured a 1-0 victory in the 2002 group stage with a Beckham penalty.

Despite Argentina’s below-par performance against Switzerland, Scaloni stressed the significance of reaching another World Cup semifinal and described the last four as “a privileged place to be in football.”

“It’s hard not to suffer on your way to a World Cup semi-final,” he said.

“Maybe we take it for granted, but it’s not that easy. We have to be happy and excited, and we’ll go all in with whatever we have left, down to the last drop of sweat. We’re going to go for it all,” Scaloni concluded.

–IANS

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