Tuchel: Argentina Are ‘Fuelled by History’ Ahead of England’s World Cup Semi-Final
Thomas Tuchel has warned that England will face an Argentina side driven by far more than footballing ambition when the two nations meet in their World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday. According to The Guardian, the England manager believes historical and emotional forces will make Argentina a particularly formidable opponent.
It is the sixth time the two sides have met at a World Cup, with three of those clashes coming after the Falklands war of 1982. The most infamous encounter was the 1986 quarter-final, when Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal helped Argentina to a 2-1 win on the way to the title. Argentina also beat England on penalties in 1998 — the game in which David Beckham was sent off — before Beckham scored the only goal in a group-stage meeting in 2002. England’s earlier victories came in 1962 (3-1) and 1966 (1-0), the latter during their run to the World Cup title.
The emotional stakes were underlined when Argentina’s players reportedly sang a dressing-room song after their 3-1 quarter-final win over Switzerland that referenced the Falklands, Maradona and what is expected to be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup appearance.
Tuchel made clear he understands the psychological weight Argentina carry into the fixture. “They are fuelled by history, it means a lot to them,” he said. “But we are also emotional, we have the grit, we have the mentality that it takes to go up against it.”
The manager also moved to draw a line under a public spat with Jude Bellingham. Tuchel had criticised the technical side of England’s performance in the 2-1 extra-time win over Norway in the quarter-final. Bellingham — who scored both goals — was publicly unimpressed, suggesting Tuchel might not appreciate what it takes to play 120 minutes at that level. The manager said he understood the reaction entirely and confirmed the matter had been resolved in a debrief with the squad. “No problem,” was his straightforward verdict.
Defender Marc Guéhi added his own psychological gambit, arguing that all the pressure sits with the defending champions. “The onus is on them. They’re the world champions. They need to come out, they need to defend their title,” he said. Guéhi has recovered from a hamstring problem and is expected to continue alongside John Stones at centre-back.
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