Alexis Mac Allister suggested in an interview that England had 'no chance' of winning the World Cup, and those comments were put to the Liverpool star on the eve of facing them
Alexis Mac Allister press conference
Alexis Mac Allister was more complimentary this time(Image: Sky Sports)
View 2 Images
Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has performed a drastic u-turn on his comments about England's chances of winning the World Cup. Liverpool star Mac Allister was asked by Jamie Redknapp last season whether England could win the tournament, but the 27-year-old made a dismissive expression on his face and stayed silent.
Seconds before, Mac Allister had named Spain or France as two contenders while also name-checking Argentina and rivals Brazil. And it'll be Spain who the winner of Wednesday's semi-final between England and Argentina will play, having beaten France 2-0 in Dallas on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Mac Allister spoke at a press conference and was asked about his conversation with Redknapp. The ex-Brighton man explained: "What I said to Jamie was a bit of a joke because at the same time that I said they were not going to be in this situation, I said they have amazing players and a really good coach as well.
"So, I'm not surprised. They have, as I said, very good players. They know what they are doing, they have a great idea, so we really respect them and we will try our best to win."
Mac Allister wasn't all full of praise, though. He claimed that England's players have lacked the physicality normally seen in the Premier League.
"I play against most of them every weekend and it's clear they're physically very strong," Mac Allister said. "That said, I think during this World Cup we've seen - I don't know if I'd call it fatigue or not - but they haven't played with the same intensity that characterises the Premier League.
"I don't know if that's because of the heat, the weather or other factors, but they're obviously a great team. We have enormous respect for them, just as we have for every national team we've faced."
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 11: Alexis Mac Allister of Argentina celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Argentina and Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Alexis Mac Allister is desperate to beat England(Image: Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
View 2 Images
He went on to say: "It's clear that the mental side is extremely important. I think, for us and for footballers in general, the mind is the most important thing. Obviously, there are tactical and footballing aspects that define the sport, but the most important thing is combining those two.
"We have great confidence in ourselves. We know â exactly what we're doing, and we're not going to change our approach."