Benni McCarthy Changes Tune on Officiating After England Defeat to Argentina: 'The Referee Was Perfect'

Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has praised the officiating in the FIFA World Cup semi-final between Argentina and England.

Defending champions Argentina staged a dramatic late comeback to beat England 2-1 in Atlanta and book their place in the final.

The Three Lions took the lead in the 55th minute when Anthony Gordon tapped in Morgan Rogers' cross, raising hopes of England's first World Cup final appearance in 60 years.

However, England's defensive approach under manager Thomas Tuchel proved costly as Lionel Messi set up Enzo Fernández for a stunning long-range equaliser in the 85th minute.

With extra time looming, Lautaro Martínez headed home another Messi delivery in the 92nd minute to complete the comeback and send Argentina through to a final against Spain.

Benni McCarthy said England's lack of experience showed after taking the lead against Argentina, arguing that they adopted an overly defensive approach instead of continuing to play positively.

The Harambee Stars coach explained that when a team is 1-0 up with only 20 minutes remaining and on the verge of reaching one of the most prestigious finals in world football, it is understandable for inexperience to take over.

He noted that England responded by introducing defensive players in the hope of protecting their advantage, but believed that decision ultimately played into Argentina's hands.

Benni McCarthy said it was a mistake to sit back against a side as experienced as the reigning world champions, insisting Argentina have repeatedly shown they know how to recover from difficult situations.

He pointed to their comeback against Egypt earlier in the tournament as evidence of their resilience, adding that England tested Argentina once again by retreating and allowing them to dictate the closing stages of the match.

He also criticised England for giving Lionel Messi too much space on the right flank, saying the Argentine captain was repeatedly allowed to receive the ball and deliver dangerous crosses into the penalty area.

According to McCarthy, that freedom proved decisive as Argentina punished England's defensive approach with two late goals to complete a dramatic comeback and secure their place in the World Cup final.

“When you're playing for one of the most prestigious places in world football, a foot into the final, winning against the reigning world champions, and you're 1-0 up with 20 minutes to go. Yeah, of course, I think inexperience will kick in, and then you would put in defensive players at England, thinking that they would deal with it,” Benni McCarthy said on Sporty TV.

“But when you have an experienced team, a team that knows how. We've just seen against Egypt what they've done coming back from that, from the dead literally. And then you go test them again today. And I think England played right into their hands by playing defensively and then allowing them to just go. And the number of times Messi got the ball on the right and was allowed to whip in that cross.”

McCarthy also reserved special praise for the officiating, saying there could be no complaints about the referee's performance in the semi-final, unlike Argentina's previous match against Egypt, where he had questioned several decisions and suggested VAR had influenced the outcome.

Reflecting on the victory over England, Benni McCarthy said Argentina's persistence ultimately made the difference. He explained that although England initially dealt with Lionel Messi's deliveries into the box, repeatedly allowing a player of Messi's quality time and space to cross was always likely to prove costly.

According to the Harambee Stars coach, the first few attempts may not have found their target, but the more opportunities England conceded, the greater the chance that one would eventually pick out a teammate.

He said Lionel Messi was allowed to settle into his rhythm on the right flank, and once he found his range, Argentina capitalised. McCarthy noted that the winning goal came from exactly that scenario, describing it as the reward for Argentina's patience and relentless pressure.

The South African coach added that the reigning world champions deserved full credit for the comeback, saying their resilience and belief were the hallmarks of a champion side.

“And the first two or three just didn't quite make it. England intercepted and that. But if you keep allowing someone to practice and putting those balls in, the sixth or the seventh one is going to find a teammate. England allowed them to give the ball to Messi and cross,” Benni McCarthy added.

“And then, yeah, now he's arranged. He found his range and his teammates. And then, yeah, and that's how the winning goal came. We have to give Argentina huge credit for persisting, and the way they stuck it out and how they ended up winning the game.

“That's through champions. And today, we don't have no excuses that they got the help of VAR. The referee was sound. The referee was perfect today. It was fair.”