Tuchel: We will not use the history between England and Argentina as motivation; Rice can start.

England will face Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-final. Ahead of the match, England manager Thomas Tuchel attended a press conference to answer questions from the media. The following is the first part of the press conference.

This is one of the most important matches in world football. The two sides have a history of many classic clashes and some highly controversial incidents. How well do you and the players know about this historic rivalry? How much additional meaning does this historical connection add to the match?

This is truly a clash between arch-rivals. These are two great national teams. Any football fan who follows the World Cup knows this matchup and what it means. These are two football powerhouses, and we expect tomorrow's game to be intense and passionate. I anticipate many ups and downs and shifts in the game; if it doesn't happen, I'll be surprised.

Hi Thomas. I had a similar question. Your players clearly have a fantastic chance to reach the World Cup final. Beyond professional accolades, will they also use those factors as additional motivation during the match?

I don't think so. We won't use those things as motivation. We know why we're here, and we know what we want. We've never shied away from our expectations of ourselves, never shied away from stating our goals, and never stopped dreaming. We've made it to the semi-finals, and we came here with a strong desire to win. We want to win the next game. We respect our opponents, but we won't dwell on past events, nor will we exaggerate the significance of this match beyond its actual meaning. This is an important football match, and as you said, it's an important stage. We are very excited and very grateful, but more importantly, we are hungry and ready.

Hi Thomas. I just wanted to ask you to clarify some team information. What's the status of Declan Rice, and is he likely to start? How are the other starters performing?

Everyone can start. Except for the suspended Cuaanza and Jordan Henderson, everyone participated in practice.

Has Declan fully recovered now?

Yes, he is ready to start and has recovered very well.

Good evening, Thomas. After the last match, you said that England hasn't reached its peak in this World Cup. What aspects of England's performance disappointed you, and what improvements would you most like to see tomorrow?

I think we made too many technical errors in the last game. These errors hindered us from establishing our offensive rhythm. Our decision-making was somewhat rushed, lacking sufficient patience. Our positional discipline on the field was also inadequate, all of which affected our offensive rhythm. However, as the season progressed, we made significant improvements defensively, especially in overall team defense. Of course, we still need to maintain that at a high level tomorrow. But our game tempo, backcourt organization, the pace of our attacks, and our technical execution all need to reach an even higher level. As I said before, we haven't truly reached our peak yet. But I believe that a game like tomorrow's, on this stage, against this opponent, will bring out our best, and also the best in my players. We are full of anticipation for that.

Thomas. The most recent Women's European Championship final was England vs. Spain, and the most recent Women's World Cup final was also England vs. Spain. You know what I mean. Although this refers to the England men's national team, does this reflect the overall level of these two countries in international football?

To be honest, I don't know. I can only tell you that I just watched the first half of Spain's match, and they were still very impressive. The bigger the stage, the greater the pressure, and the calmer they played. They also played with increasing confidence. It was all truly impressive. First of all, I want to congratulate them on what they have already achieved. As for us, I said when I took over the team that I thought we were very close to the highest goal. We've reached the quarterfinals and semifinals in several consecutive tournaments. We've also reached the finals in several consecutive European Championships. That means you're already there. If you can reach the quarterfinals and semifinals consecutively, it means you have the ability to compete for the highest honor. Now, we want to squeeze out the last bit of potential. We want to take the next step. I really like the change in the team's energy right now. I also really like the renewed spirit in training camp. I feel the players are very excited. I feel they are full of ambition for this semifinal. Nobody is satisfied. This is exactly the best state we need, and the perfect combination for an ideal performance tomorrow.

(Argentine journalist) Thomas, good evening. I'd like to ask you about your assessment of the Argentine team, and what your thoughts are on Messi's performance so far and his performance in this tournament. Thank you.

His performance in this tournament has been simply unbelievable. Throughout the entire World Cup campaign, he carried the entire team forward, which is truly incredible. Words fail me; I simply cannot find them. What right do I have to comment? I am speechless at such achievements, such a sense of responsibility, and the strength he displayed in this tournament. He is a leader. He is the key player on any team, and this is especially true for this Argentine team. Yes, you can see their cohesion. You can see they are very familiar with big-game football. They have largely retained the same players, with almost no changes to their core lineup. They have an extremely experienced and highly capable head coach. They have worked together for a long time. Therefore, you can see that they like to organize attacks through the middle. They like short passing combinations. They are always looking for gaps and constantly exploiting them to advance. Once Messi gets the ball, the whole team starts running. And when they deliver the ball to Messi and create opportunities for him, both their technical execution and the quality of their passing are at the highest level in the world. Therefore, we have many aspects to focus on. However, we came here to play this semi-final our own way. We must stick to our playing style. We must play to our strengths. We must play this semi-final the way we want and fight for our luck. We know how huge the obstacles are. We know how difficult this challenge is. But we are ready.