Former England captain John Terry has confidently backed the Three Lions to get past Argentina and win this year’s World Cup.
After a famous victory over Mexico, England were forced to come behind to secure their place in the semi-finals, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in a dramatic extra-time defeat of Norway.
A daunting challenge awaits against the holders Argentina and a rampant Lionel Messi for the Three Lions, who find themselves only two games away from immortality.
France and Spain do battle in this summer’s other semi-final, with the four top seeds successfully making it through to the last four of what has been an unforgettable tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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There are some concerns surrounding Declan Rice’s condition ahead of England’s showdown with Argentina after the Arsenal midfielder was taken off at half-time versus Norway.
But while Thomas Tuchel revealed that Rice had spent ‘most of the time’ in bed with a sickness bug prior to kick-off, the England vice-captain is expected to continue his run in the side in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Argentina, meanwhile, have a clean bill of health, with Messi, Leandro Paredes and Cristian Romero all given the green light to feature despite some minor doubts over their fitness.
Dissecting the Norway win and looking ahead to England’s clash with Norway on Sports Uncensored, Piers Morgan confidently declared that it was ‘definitely coming home’ for England, 60 years on from Bobby Moore and Co’s 1966 triumph.
‘It’s coming home, it is definitely coming home. I can feel it in my bones,’ he told his viewers while joined by guests Simon Jordan and Terry.
‘But can my World Cup Uncensored co-hosts feel it in their bones?’
Following a lengthy debate over Gabriel Clarke’s controversial post-match interviews with Bellingham and Tuchel, ex-England skipper Terry steered the conversation towards the side’s performance against Norway.
‘It’s incredible. We keep finding a way don’t we? Without playing too well,’ Terry said.
‘I think Thomas Tuchel was completely right after the game, I think he was really disappointed in terms of the way we played.
‘But let’s also not forget that the Mexico game would have taken a lot out of the boys as well, I think we saw that in both England and Norway.
‘They both looked very lethargic and I actually thought it was a very poor game from both sides.
‘But going back to what Jude said afterwards, we found a way to get through and he was unbelievable again: the two goals, the timing, the arriving in the box when he does. It’s a knack, it’s an art.
‘Frank Lampard did it for years at Chelsea and now Jude is doing it with England as well.’
With Bellingham and Kane firing on all cylinders and ‘dragging’ England through, Terry is daring the dream.
He added: ‘The way Jude is playing at the moment, you can say what you want, you can do what you want, just keeping performing the way you are because you are dragging this team through at the moment.
‘Him and Harry Kane, the whole way through this competition, we need the others to step up.
‘Now it’s the semi-finals and things get real now and I’m with you [Piers Morgan], I believe it’s going to happen.’
In his record-equaling sixth World Cup appearance, Messi finds himself level pegging with France’s Kylian Mbappe on eight goals, two ahead of both Bellingham and Kane.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has also provided two assists across Argentina’s campaign, extraordinary numbers which he will be desperate to boost at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Asked how England can go about trying to stop Messi, Terry replied: ‘It’s very difficult, even though he’s at the back-end of his career.
‘It’s very difficult to stop him when he really want to, he can produce a little bit of magic at any moment.
‘And also, if you give him time and space anywhere on the pitch he’ll be able to do it so full focus because he’s constantly drifting into areas that make it difficult for defenders.
‘We’ve been all-out attack in pretty much all our games, teams have sat back against us. He stays pretty much up at the far end of the pitch, he’s going to be difficult to mark.’
But while Terry insists Argentina are far from a one-man team, he is adamant England boast a ‘way better’ starting XI than Lionel Scaloni’s side on paper.
‘We can’t only focus on Messi. Without being a great side, I think they’ve got really good individuals that have got loads and loads of experience,’ the former Chelsea defender explained.
‘I think Emiliano Martinez is huge for them. Also, they have plenty of shots at goal, they’re a big threat going forward but on paper I think man for man we are way better than this Argentina side.
‘And I think the luck of the draw, being this side rather than playing Spain or France on the other side, is a big advantage for us.’
Despite Rice’s fitness struggles, Terry would be stunned if the midfielder was not named in Tuchel’s starting XI.
Terry – who represented the Three Lions at two World Cups – also expects Reece James to come back into the side after the right-back returned from a hamstring injury to come off the bench against Norway.
‘I think Rice will be fine. I’d be amazed if he’s not starting,’ he said.
‘I think Reece James will come back in, I even think and, listen, I’ve not been his biggest fan throughout this podcast, I thought Djed Spence was excellent when he came on the other night.’
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