Wright's comparison of the England-Argentina semi-final to a war has sparked strong discontent among Falklands War veterans.

The Daily Telegraph points out that commentator Ian Wright's comparison of the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina to a "war" has sparked strong dissatisfaction and condemnation from veterans of the Falklands War.

Wright also said that Wednesday night's game was "more than just a game" and that he had "no liking" for the defending champions.

During ITV's broadcast of Spain's victory over France in the semi-final, the former England striker appeared as a commentator, deliberately stirring up the so-called "arch-rivalry" between the two teams. He said, "This match will be chaotic, the stands will be in disarray, and the organizers haven't separated the two teams' fans. This is a match we must remain highly calm to handle."

"As time went on, I learned more about Argentina, and I have absolutely no fondness for them. Of course, I don't deny that Diego Maradona had some brilliant performances that impressed me."

"Argentina is an opponent we must defeat. This match will be extremely difficult, really very difficult. We are about to enter a real war of attrition, and we must recognize that."

“I heard Thomas Tuchel say that this is just a game, but it is much more than just a game, and they will understand that once it kicks off. This game is about much more than just football.”

Wright then mentioned England's referee choice – American referee Ismail Alfat, whose 100% win rate is attributed to Lionel Messi, captain of Argentina.

He added, "I know they'll do whatever it takes to create chaos, like we've said before, whether it's fan riots, penalty disputes, or refereeing issues—we've even heard that the referee might be a friend of Messi or something. I don't care what methods they use; they can use any trick they want, even bringing their own dinner."

In 1982, the Falklands War broke out between Britain and Argentina, resulting in the deaths of 255 British soldiers and injuries to hundreds more.

Simon Weston, a Welsh soldier, was severely burned in the attack on the transport ship HMS Sir Galahad, which was bombed by Argentine forces. He strongly condemned any comparisons between football and war.

“Some people call footballers on the pitch heroes, which is a complete misuse of the term,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “They are just footballers, and they don’t risk their lives on the pitch at all. It’s completely different from the battlefield.”

Peter Robinson served in the 40th Commando during the Falklands War, and a photograph of him tying the British flag to his backpack has become widely circulated.

He said, "Sports should be sports, and conflict should be conflict; the two should never be confused. This match is definitely not a battlefield."

He added, "I don't follow football; it's full of arrogant people."

The two veterans also condemned Argentine fans for openly burning the British flag ahead of Wednesday's crucial match.

Weston said he would support England on Wednesday, saying: "It's a disgrace, but there are always some idiots who will do this. For God's sake, it's just a football match, be mature. I understand that people want to create tension and increase suspense, but this behavior is just too bad."

Robinson accused Argentine fans of trying to dredge up the 1982 war, adding, "This is no longer a friendly rivalry. But they always bring up the Falklands issue. What's that song again? 'Don't cry for me, Argentina'? Fine, then don't cry for me, Argentina."

Last week, after advancing to the World Cup semi-finals, Argentine players chanted slogans, including lyrics that claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (known as the Malvinas Islands in Argentina). After the video was released, Weston expressed his disdain for the Argentine players' behavior.

“This is just a sporting event and has nothing to do with what happened 44 years ago,” he said. “These players weren’t even born then, so for them to sing some ‘Malvinas’ song is utter nonsense and a disgrace.”

In 2014, Wright wrote a column for The Sun in which he said: "If any young player says he doesn't want to play for England, he should call the parents of the soldiers who died for their country in Afghanistan and tell them in person why he refuses to play for his country."

Wright's childhood mentor was Sidney Pigdon, a Spitfire pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II, Wright's primary school teacher, and his first positive male role model. In 2005, Wright mistakenly believed Pigdon had passed away; the two later reunited in a television documentary, a touching scene.