Argentina’s vice president criticizes Lionel Scaloni with harsh comments about England ahead of the World Cup semi-final
With the World Cup semi-final coming up, Argentina’s vice president Victoria Villarruel chose to bring politics into the mix, even though coach Lionel Scaloni had asked everyone to keep football and politics separate. He wanted to focus just on the game, but Villarruel used old conflicts to fire up the fans.
England and Argentina have a long history of fierce World Cup battles. From Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal to Michael Owen’s thrilling goal in 2002 and Beckham’s red card drama, both teams have had their share of emotional moments against each other.
In 2026, the two teams will meet in modern football for the first time – at least for Lionel Messi, it will be his first encounter with England at this level. The match looks set to be another tough fight, especially since it’s on the side of the tournament bracket where games have often gone into extra time.
Before the game, coach Scaloni asked everyone to avoid mixing politics with football. Unfortunately, Villarruel didn’t listen. Outside football, the rivalry is even stronger because of past political issues, like the Falklands War in 1982, a conflict that sadly took many lives on both sides. The dispute over the Falklands, or Las Malvinas as Argentina calls them, is still ongoing.
Ignoring Scaloni’s advice, Villarruel posted a charged message on social media, calling England “usurping pirates” and saying “this isn’t just another match.” She reminded fans of the Falklands, Maradona, and Messi’s final World Cup, urging Argentina to “claim what’s ours.”
Scaloni had said earlier that the match should be about football only. He respected the history but felt that mixing the two would take away from the game. “It’s a football match,” he said. “We remember the past with respect, but we shouldn’t mix it with today’s game.”
The semi-final will start at 8 pm GMT. England’s team, led by Thomas Tuchel, will be hoping to give Messi his first and last defeat against the Three Lions.