Pickford says England will 'let the football do the talking' against Argentina

[p]The rivalry between the two teams is one of the spiciest in world football, influenced by events on and off the pitch.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pickford-jordan/SKTJdUtH/"]Pickford[/a] said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] had largely avoided flashpoints during the 2026 tournament and can cope with the pressure.[/p][p][b]"I think you've seen throughout the tournament our desire to win tackles. We've not got into any scuffles or anything,"[/b] he said Monday at England's training base in Kansas City.[/p][p][b]"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.[/b][/p][p][b]"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."[/b][/p][embed guid="fc5c942d-ad99-423f-9d30-43a5f9d8b2f7" url="https://x.com/England/status/2076554719376371882?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a] will be the focus in the build-up to the semi-final in Atlanta, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/everton/KluSTr9s/"]Everton[/a] goalkeeper Pickford talked up England's own stars.[/p][p][b]"Everyone will talk about Messi because he's one of the GOATs (greatest of all time) of the game,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"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."[/b][/p][embed guid="0e2cb305-975e-45f4-ba3e-01efde82eaf1" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk5MKKEqnxo" social-type="youtube" /][p]The history of matches between England and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] is peppered with incidents, set against a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean.[/p][p]The most famous encounter between the teams was a 2-1 victory for Argentina at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, featuring two goals from Diego Maradona -- one the infamous "Hand of God" goal and the other a dazzling solo effort considered one of the best.[/p][p]But the historical background is of little relevance to Pickford as England seek to get over the line in a major tournament for the first time since 1966.[/p][p][b]"It's us against them to get a place in the final, and it's a game of football. 90 minutes, 120, penalties,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"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."[/b][/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/argentina-f9OppQjp/england-j9N9ZNFA/?mid=pKVyGJbD"]Follow England v Argentina with Flashscore[/a][/h2][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]