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England manager Thomas Tuchel said his team wanted to give fans a reason to celebrate in their World Cup semi-final against Argentina, stressing that football has the power to make people's lives better, even for 90 or 120 minutes.
"That's what the World Cup is all about, to excite the fans and make people's lives better for 90 or 120 minutes. They want to be represented by their team. There's a lot to like about this England and I'm very happy that people feel that ," said Tuchel.
The German coach admitted he will feel emotions ahead of the match, but denied feeling the weight of expectations to end England's 60-year wait for a world title.
"I don't feel it as a burden. There is excitement and tension, but no pressure. I see a competitive group of players, hungry to play this game. Everyone immediately recognizes the England shirt and our players. That's the beauty of a game of this magnitude ," he said.
Asked about the historic rivalry between England and Argentina, Tuchel said the team is aware of the importance of the challenge, but does not want to remain hostage to the past.
"The players know what this match means. When a match has iconic moments in history, you can't say it's just a football match. However, we don't talk about historical events. The tension of this match is big enough even without them," he declared.
Part of the conference was also dedicated to Argentina captain Lionel Messi, whom Tuchel described as an extraordinary footballer.
"It's incredible the way he leads the team. There are no words to describe his achievements. Who am I to talk about Messi? He is the leader and the key player of every team he plays for. Argentina are very united and have a lot of experience in the tournament. Messi's ball delivery is done at the highest technical level and that is something we have to take into account ," said the England coach.
However, he stressed that the focus remains on his team.
" We are here to play the semi-final our way. We know how difficult this challenge is, but we are ready ," Tuchel added.
The England coach admitted he was not happy with the performance against Norway in the quarter-finals, despite qualifying.
"We made a lot of technical mistakes that prevented us from finding the rhythm. We made hasty decisions and were not patient and disciplined enough. However, during the tournament we have improved our defense as a team and this will be essential in the next match. The acceleration of the game and the technical quality must be at a higher level. I believe that a match like this will bring out the best in us and our players ," he said.
Finally, Tuchel confirmed that all players are available for the semi-final, including midfielder Declan Rice, who was substituted in the first half of the match against Norway due to a poor health condition.
" He is ready to play from the first minute ," concluded the England coach.
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