Kane insists England squad united ahead of Argentina semi-final
Harry Kane has dismissed suggestions of division in the England camp after Jude Bellingham's reaction to Thomas Tuchel's criticism, saying the team is 'completely together' before facing Lionel Messi's Argentina.
Road to the semi-final
England secured their place in the World Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Norway in Miami on Saturday. They now face defending champions Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday, who advanced by beating Switzerland 3-1.
Tuchel's criticism and Bellingham's response
After the Norway match, England manager Thomas Tuchel said his side "got lucky" and was "not happy" with their performance "in every sense." When asked about these comments, Jude Bellingham replied: "Yeah, well, whatever. It's difficult out there - it's a tough shift."
Kane defends unity
Speaking to BBC Sport on Monday, captain Harry Kane strongly denied any rift within the squad. "When you are playing a game like that and to be asked a question five minutes after the final whistle, and he didn't really know what had been said, what do you want Jude to say?" Kane said. "We had just been through a battle. It is easy to try and create this division - it seems like an English thing to do at these major tournaments. But it is the complete opposite. The group is where we are because of our complete togetherness - not just the players, the coach and the staff. Things sometimes get made out to be more than they are."
Kane also defended Tuchel's honest approach, calling him "one of the best managers in the world" and saying his natural style makes players believe in him.
The Messi challenge
Standing between England and a second World Cup final appearance is Lionel Messi's Argentina. Left-back Nico O'Reilly, who may have to defend the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, described it as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." "I can't wait. He's coming towards the end of his career. For me personally, he's the best player to ever touch a football pitch. And yeah, I can't wait for the challenge," O'Reilly told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Messi has scored eight goals in the tournament, joint-top with Kylian Mbappe, and holds the record for most World Cup goals with 21.
Pickford's warning
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford cautioned against focusing solely on Messi. "We all know how good Messi is but we also know how good Argentina are. We can't solely rely on stopping Messi. We've got to focus on their other strengths and the weaknesses we can take advantage of," Pickford said.
The winner of the semi-final will face either France or Spain in the final on 19 July at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
