Argentina faces England in the World Cup 2026 semifinal

Argentina's Vice President Victoria Villarruel has posted a message on social media calling the English 'pirates usurpers' ahead of the World Cup 2026 semifinal. In the message, Villarruel links the match to Argentina's historical claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

'We play against the pirate usurpers. It's not just another game. I won't be politically correct or cold-blooded, against the English it's always something more. It's the Falklands, it's Diego, it's Leo's last one and it's stopping the invaders', wrote Villarruel on her X social media account.

The Falklands War was a conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982, which left a toll of 255 British and 649 Argentine lives. Victoria Villarruel's father, Eduardo Marcelo Villarruel, was a military man who participated in the war and was a prisoner of the British forces.

Argentina and England have faced each other five times in the World Cup. England won in the 1962, 1966 and 2002 editions, while Argentina won in 1986 and 1998. Today's match is considered the 'riskiest' of the World Cup 2026 and the authorities of both countries have coordinated a special device to ensure the safety of the fans.

Argentina's last victory was on November 14, 2025, when they defeated Angola 2-0. Recently, Argentina has won three games in a row, with a streak of 3W-0D-0L (WWW) in their last three matches.