13/07/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | JULY 13, 2026

30

2026 WORLD CUP

Battle-hardened Argentina Scaloni says suffering is in La Albiceleste’s DNA after extra-time win over Switzerland A RGENTINA coach Lionel Scaloni said their 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the World Cup quarterfinals yesterday was further proof that his team have grown com

proof that football is complicated.” Scaloni also highlighted Argentina’s improvement on set pieces after midfielder Alexis Mac Allister headed home their opening goal from a Lionel Messi corner. “Alexis McAllister is one of the greatest. So all praise to him because he’s been working very hard,” Scaloni said. The reward for Argentina is a sixth semifinal appearance in their last six major tournaments. “I hadn’t thought about it, but this is something to be very proud of,” he said. If Argentina do lift the trophy again, this cam paign may be remembered less for flowing football than for the stubborn resilience that has carried them through “When you reach a semifinal, you need to suffer,” Scaloni said. “You need to go through it.” – Reuters

fortable operating in challenging situations. Forced to come from two goals down in their improbable 3-2 round-of-16 win over Egypt, and then pushed to the limit again by a relentless Swiss side, Scaloni’s men found answers when the pres sure was at its greatest, scoring twice deep in extra time to reach the last four. For Scaloni, the ability to suffer without losing

Switzerland looked capable of derailing Argentina’s campaign after they equalised in the 67th minute, but Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored deep in extra time to secure the dramatic victory. “It was a tough opponent,” Scaloni said. “It was very difficult for us to win the duels, to put more than five or six passes together. “They were very strong, and they made that struggle in the one versus one in differ ent areas of the pitch. We suffered quite a lot.” Yet even on a day when Argentina were below their best, Scaloni felt his squad’s depth and collective belief carried them through. “We also have players on the

belief has become one of the defining charac teristics of this Argentina squad. “We knew that we were going to suffer, and this is part of our blood, this is part of our DNA, and this brings peace of mind,” the coach said. Argentina’s path through the tournament has been far from straightforward. They twice squandered leads to Cape Verde before grinding out a 3-2 victory in the round of 32, and then were 2-0 down to Egypt until the 79th minute before their comeback. Scaloni believes the experience of Qatar 2022, where they captured the title with a penalty shootout vic

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tory over France, has helped his players navi gate those difficult moments. “In Qatar, we were not that expe rienced, I myself included, and those kind of situations were very difficult,” he said. “However, now we are more experi enced because we know what it feels like to be dominated by the opponent, to concede an equaliser, so today we kept our composure. The team knew how to remain calm and, of course, we will never give up.”

bench who can turn the game on its head, and this is something very good,” he said. “Ultimately, we always find the solutions.” The coach repeatedly returned to the theme of unity in his post-game press con ference, crediting a group that has bought into his vision during six demanding weeks together at the tourna ment. “This is thanks to the players because they had to trust in the process,” he said. “We are a collec tive side. We are together. We are very much united. And this is

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Draw Date: 12/07/26 (Sun)

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Julian Alvarez celebrates after scoring Argentina’s second goal during the victory over Switzerland in yesterday’s World Cup quarterfinal match in Kansas City. – AFPPIC

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GOAT 917 425+

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RM1,515,833.30

HORSE 911 413+

‘England semifinal just a football game’

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HORSE 138 682+

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coach and this is a football game and that’s all.” The game against England comes 40 years after a seismic encounter in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Argentina secured a 2-1 victory at the Estadio Azteca with two goals from Diego Maradona – one the infamous “Hand of God” goal and the other a dazzling solo effort consid ered one of the best ever. The teams have faced each other twice in World Cups since – Argentina won on penalties in 1998 while England gained revenge four years later. “We know England has impressive players, they’re a great national team and are doing very well,” said Alvarez, who scored Argentina’s decisive second goal yesterday. The Atletico Madrid forward was proud that the three-time champions have reached the last four as they seek to win back-to-back World Cups, but said: “For us now it’s time to recover.” – AFP

ARGENTINA coach Lionel Scaloni insisted yesterday’s heavyweight World Cup semifinal against England was “just a football game” after his side beat Switzerland 3-1 in the last eight. Argentina turn their attention to the semifinal in Atlanta, which promises to be a tense encounter. The history of matches between England and Argentina is peppered with flashpoints on the pitch, set against a lingering sovereignty dis pute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas , in the South Atlantic Ocean. Britain sent a military taskforce in 1982 to reclaim the islands after Argentine troops invaded but Scaloni sought to put politics aside after Argentina’s victory at the Arrowhead Stadium. “Look, this is a football game,” he said. “OK, so the message is this is a football game. That’s what I can say. “It is a football game and we will be playing against a very tough opponent. They have an excellent

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