Scaloni: 'Don't mix politics and football' before England semi
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- Lionel Scaloni said he will not 'mix' football and politics ahead of Argentina's World Cup semi-final against England at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday (July 15, 20:00 BST), calling the Falklands War 'a very sad period in our history' but insisting 'we shouldn't confuse the two.'
- Vice-president Victoria Villarruel took a sharply contrasting stance on X, citing a Falklands-referencing chant Argentina players sang after their 3-2 win over Egypt and declaring 'against the English, it's always something more' and 'it's about putting the invaders in their place.'
- Atlanta authorities announced increased security for the match because of the historical tensions dating to the 1982 Falklands War, a 74-day conflict that killed 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British combatants, and three civilians.
- Lionel Messi has scored eight goals — a joint-tournament high alongside France's Kylian Mbappé — to inspire Argentina's run to the semis, where the 39-year-old will face England for the first time in his international career.
- Argentina have struggled collectively in the knockout rounds, needing extra time to beat Cape Verde in the last-32 and 10-man Switzerland in the quarter-finals before their dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt.
- Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have each scored six goals in the tournament, with Scaloni saying he has been briefing his side on how to handle the pair and calling them 'two great players, among the best in the world.'
Why it matters: Argentina's semi-final carries political weight neither side can fully suppress — Atlanta has ordered heightened security and Vice-President Villarruel publicly invoked the Falklands despite Scaloni's appeal for separation. For Scaloni, the diplomatic tightrope matters with collective form shaky, having needed extra time in two knockout games already.
