FIFA World Cup 2026: Pickford backs England to keep cool ahead of SF against Messi's Argentina
Georgia, July 14
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford on Monday backed his teammates to keep their cool ahead of their FIFA World Cup semi-final clash against the defending champion Argentina, despite the historical rivalry between the two sides, according to ESPN.
The match marks the first World Cup encounter between England and Argentina since the 1998 tournament, when David Beckham was sent off after an altercation involving Argentina's Diego Simeone.
Speaking ahead of the highly anticipated fixture, Pickford said England have shown discipline throughout the tournament and have avoided unnecessary confrontations.
"I think you've seen throughout the tournament our desire to win tackles; we've not got into any scuffles or anything. We've been very well respected within the game," Pickford said, as quoted by ESPN.
"Decisions go our way, they don't go our way, we just reset, we go again, and we let the football do the talking," he added.
The England goalkeeper highlighted the team's discipline, pointing out that apart from Jarell Quansah's red card against Mexico, the squad has avoided suspensions and second-yellow card offences.
"It just shows the mentality we have, and we don't get wrapped up in things like that. We stay focused, we stay together," Pickford said.
England secured a 2-1 victory over Norway to book a semi-final clash against defending champions Argentina, bringing an end to Norway's best-ever FIFA World Cup campaign.
The quarter-final marked a historic milestone for Norway, which reached the last eight for the first time in tournament history after returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Despite the heartbreaking exit, Erling Haaland enjoyed another outstanding tournament. The striker scored in every group-stage match as well as in the Round of 32 and Round of 16, finishing as Norway's top scorer with seven goals.
— ANI
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