Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has performed a U-turn on comments he made two months ago about England's chances at the World Cup. Speaking ahead of Wednesday's semi-final in Atlanta, the Liverpool player now says he was not surprised by England's progress and stressed his respect for Thomas Tuchel's side.
Mac Allister's Original Comments
In an interview with Jamie Redknapp at Liverpool's training ground in May, Mac Allister notably omitted England when discussing potential World Cup winners. He listed Spain, France, Argentina, and Brazil as strong contenders but did not mention the Three Lions. When Redknapp pressed him on England, Mac Allister turned to teammate Dominik Szoboszlai and replied: "You think you have a chance?" The full response was not aired.
Backtrack Ahead of Semi-Final
On the eve of the match, Sky Sports' Gary Cotterill asked Mac Allister if he was surprised England had reached the semi-finals. The 27-year-old backtracked, explaining the earlier exchange was "a bit of a joke." He said: "No, not surprised. I understand what you're saying because it was an interview that Jamie was doing at Liverpool. It was a bit of a joke. Because at the same time that I said that, they were not going to be in this situation. I said they have amazing players and a really good coach as well."
Respect for England
Mac Allister added: "So I'm not surprised, I'm not surprised. As I said they have very good players, they know what they are doing and they have a great idea. We really respect them and we will try our best to win."
Context of the Match
The World Cup holders, captained by Lionel Messi who has scored eight goals in the tournament, face England in Atlanta with a place in Sunday's final at stake. The two nations have not met since 2005, and this will be their first World Cup encounter in 24 years. England are two wins away from becoming only the second men's team in their history to win the World Cup.
