Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said his team’s World Cup semi-final against England should be treated strictly as a football match, not as an extension of political tensions between the two countries. Speaking before Wednesday’s game in Atlanta, he said it would be disrespectful to conflate sport with the legacy of the 1982 Falklands War, describing that period as a sad chapter in history. His remarks matter because England-Argentina matches carry unusual historical weight, both because of the sovereignty dispute over the Falklands/Malvinas and the long football rivalry between the sides.

The semi-final takes place on 15 July at 20:00 BST, with added security in Atlanta because of the fixture’s political and cultural sensitivity. Recent tension has been heightened by Argentina players being filmed singing a chant about the islands after their 3-2 last-16 win over Egypt, while memories also linger from Diego Maradona’s decisive role in Argentina’s 1986 World Cup win over England. On the pitch, Lionel Messi, now 39, has scored eight goals at the tournament, while England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have six each; Argentina have reached the last four despite needing extra time in both the last 32 and quarter-finals.