Pickford: England will 'let the football do the talking' vs Argentina in World Cup semi-final

Pickford on Messi as England target first final since 1966

Jordan Pickford says England can stay calm ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina. The England goalkeeper highlighted England’s stars as Messi takes center stage.

Pickford says England will 'let the football do the talking' vs Argentina...

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said he’s confident his side can stay composed during Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina.

 

The matchup between England and Argentina is one of football’s fiercest rivalries, shaped by incidents both on and off the field.

 

Pickford added that England have mostly steered clear of drama in the 2026 tournament and are ready to handle the pressure.

“I think you've seen throughout the tournament our desire to win tackles. We've not got into any scuffles or anything,” he said Monday at England's training base in Kansas City.

“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 in Mexico), we've not had any suspensions, no second yellow cards or anything like that.”

Lionel Messi is set to dominate the pre-match conversation ahead of the Atlanta semi-final, but Everton goalkeeper Pickford highlighted England’s own talent.

“Everyone will talk about Messi because he's one of the GOATs (greatest of all time) of the game,” 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.”

Matches between England and Argentina have a long history of controversy, played out against the backdrop of the ongoing dispute over the Falkland Islands - called the Malvinas in Spanish in the South Atlantic.

The start of a big week in our @FIFAWorldCup journey.

Let's do it together, England fans. ❤️🦁 pic.twitter.com/yCsvgUPAkJ

— England (@England) July 13, 2026

 

The most iconic meeting came in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, when Argentina won 2-1 thanks to two Diego Maradona goals — the notorious “Hand of God” and a solo strike widely regarded as one of the greatest ever.

But Pickford said the history doesn’t matter much as England try to win a major tournament for the first time since 1966.

“It's us against them to get a place in the final, and it's a game of football. 90 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.”