Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said England has not played with the same level of intensity at the 2026 World Cup as their Premier League displays weekly. "I play against most of them every weekend and it's clear they're physically very strong," the 27-year-old said, adding that England's World Cup performance lacks the usual Premier League intensity, possibly due to heat, weather, or fatigue [1, 2, 3].
Mac Allister stressed the mental aspect of the game alongside physicality. "The mental side is extremely important. I think, for us and for footballers in general, the mind is the most important thing," he said [1].
Argentina’s path to the semi-finals has been challenging. They narrowly defeated Cape Verde in the round of 32, staged a comeback from a 0-2 deficit against Egypt in the round of 16, and won in extra time over 10-man Switzerland in the quarter-finals [1, 2, 3].
Mac Allister, who has played six Premier League seasons and won the title with Liverpool last year, expects the semi-final match scheduled July 15-16 at Atlanta Stadium to be fiercely contested. "I expect tomorrow's match to be played with great intensity and, of course, with a lot of nerves on all sides," he said [1, 2, 3].
