Argentina coach shuts down fatigue talk ahead of England World Cup showdown

Scaloni has watched on as the defending champions have navigated their way through the global tournament while not playing at their best, as they did when they lifted the trophy in Qatar in 2022.

Argentina topped Group J by defeating Algeria, Austria and Jordan, before going on to eliminate Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland in the World Cup knockout rounds.

The South Americans, however, needed extra time to beat Cape Verde and Switzerland and a stunning rally, led by Lionel Messi, saw them come back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2.

"Honestly, I don't dwell on whether we're in the exact way I wanted to play," Scaloni said. "Because a month-and-a-half ago, I would have jumped at the chance to be in a World Cup semifinal, getting there however possible.

"It doesn't matter to me. So, the state we're in doesn't matter. I have no complaints. Whether we're tired or not, it makes no difference.

"We're in a World Cup semifinal. Now, I'm incredibly excited, we all are happy. We look at the condition we're in, and we're ready to play the match."

The showdown with England represents a historic game with tensions between the two countries going on for decades, specifically the dispute over the Falkland Islands in 1982.

Scaloni though was quick to shut down any political talks, saying he and his team will concentrate on the football and the task of reaching another World Cup final.

"It is a football match," Scaloni said. "There's no getting around that. Things are happening elsewhere in the world, and we criticize the existence of war, so for me to start saying this is anything more than a football match... it seems crazy to me.

"We certainly remember those people, of course. But it is a football match; we shouldn't confuse the two."

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