After Lionel Scaloni had called the semifinal “a football match. No more than that,” Argentina advanced by beating England 2-1 as criticism focused on Thomas Tuchel’s late substitutions.
Argentina reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup final with a 2-1 semifinal win over England after coach Lionel Scaloni had played down the occasion as “a football match. No more than that” following the team’s July 9 quarterfinal victory over Switzerland. The defeat ended England’s campaign and prompted criticism of Thomas Tuchel’s game management, with former England striker and BBC pundit Alan Shearer saying Tuchel played “his cards too early” with late defensive substitutions. Shearer added that “the best team won,” while Tuchel said he had “no regrets” and took full responsibility for England’s tournament performance. Scaloni, who has managed Argentina since 2018, has led the team to Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and he also said Spain “keep improving,” describing a possible Spain-France meeting as “a final played early.”