Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni praised his players after their dramatic 2-1 comeback win over England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, saying the team had already achieved something “incredible” and would now give everything to win the title.Argentina came from behind in Atlanta to book a place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain. England, meanwhile, missed out on reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 and will now face France in the third-place playoff. Scaloni was full of praise for his team and thanked all the players, even those who came off the bench.“We have to thank the players. It’s hard to explain what this group has done with words. We have to try to win the final, but what these guys have already achieved is incredible. I am grateful to the players. Without them it would not be possible. A special mention for those who don’t play and support from the outside. It’s an incredible group. Those who came off the bench today were fundamental,” said Scaloni during the post-match press conference.
“We have to give everything”
Scaloni said personal accolades don’t matter to him. His only concern is to make sure the team is ready for any challenge.“I hope people think something good about me, but honestly, I don’t worry. That doesn’t move me. My concern is that the boys go out on the field in good shape and that there is always a tomorrow. I think we are fair winners. We are ready to face what comes next.”Ahead of the final against Spain, Scaloni has vowed that Argentina will leave nothing to chance in their bid to retain the World Cup.“We have to try to win, we have to give everything. But this is already impressive. We are unique and it is not arrogance. It’s heart. The shirt deserves it. Give everything until the end, hold nothing back,” Scaloni said.
“This team plays best when it’s in trouble”
Scaloni said his team never stopped believing despite the end of the game. I feel that Argentina created enough chances and continued to attack until the breakthrough came.“In football as in life, you have to give everything until the end. This team plays best when it is in trouble. If he hadn’t gone, we would have lost 1-0 with seven goal chances. We kept pushing until the end. We thought the match against Egypt was the peak, and this surpassed it,” said Scaloni.He also talked about how quickly emotions change in football.“These are the only moments of pure happiness that we have. Tomorrow, the bitterness starts again. These players do not feel weighed down by the responsibility. We are not successful just because we win or not. The most important thing is how we deal with the situation,” he added.
Argentina set up the final against Spain
England went ahead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon and looked on course for victory. But Argentina fought back firmly.Enzo Fernandez equalized in the 85th minute earlier Lionel Messi he set up Lautaro Martinez for the stoppage-time winner, completing a stunning comeback.The match was closely fought throughout, with both teams creating few clear-cut chances in the first half. Argentina will now face Spain in the FIFA World Cup Final 2026 on Sunday, while England meets France in the third place playoff.