Pickford urges England to "stay calm" ahead of Argentina World Cup showdown

The two nations share one of international football's fiercest rivalries, but the England goalkeeper believes his side have shown throughout the tournament that they can handle the pressure without losing their discipline.

Speaking at England's training base in Kansas City, Pickford said the team's approach has been to remain calm regardless of the decisions made during matches.

"I think you've seen throughout the tournament our desire to win tackles. We've not got into any scuffles or anything," said Pickford.

"We've been very well respected within the game. Decisions go our way, they don't go our way, we just reset, we go again and we let the football do the talking.

"I think that's what we've done throughout the tournament. Apart from Jarell Quansah's red card against Mexico, we've not had any suspensions, no second yellow cards or anything like that."

Much of the attention before the semi-final in Atlanta has centred on Argentina captain Lionel Messi, but Pickford believes England have enough quality across the squad to match the defending champions.

"Everyone will talk about Messi because he's one of the greatest of all time," he said.

"But you can't look past the ability and the talent we've got in the squad - going forward, defensively, togetherness. We've got it all there and that's what we need to put on a show on Wednesday."

England and Argentina have produced several memorable World Cup meetings over the years, with the most famous coming in 1986 when Diego Maradona inspired Argentina to a 2-1 victory. That match featured his controversial "Hand of God" goal and his stunning solo effort, widely regarded as one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.

Despite that history, Pickford insists England are only focused on securing a place in the final.

"It's us against them to get a place in the final, and it's a game of football. Ninety minutes, 120, penalties," he said.

"We're ready for anything, and it's us against them and it's about who comes out on top. We're fully prepared for that."

England are aiming to reach another World Cup final as they look to win the tournament for the first time since lifting the trophy in 1966.

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