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I nearly fell off my chair! - England legends World Cup verdict ahead of semi-final

Lionel Messi and Argentina stand between England and a first World Cup final appearance in 60 years.

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Jude Bellingham celebrates against Norway(Image: Nicol Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Thomas Tuchels underperforming stars can raise their game against Lionel Messis Argentina and fire England to the World Cup final.

Thats the verdict of Michael Owen, who suffered heartache against the Argies in 1998 when he burst onto the World Cup scene as a teenager.

Owen says he nearly fell off my chair at some of the praise over the last-16 win against Mexico, and he added that England were lucky to squeeze past Norway in the quarter-finals.

But he believes there is better to come from Tuchels men as they face Argentina in the knockouts for the first time in 28 years.

A lot of people will naturally get carried away, but its never been my job to get carried away, said Owen, ambassador for Casino.org, who now helps Irish gamblers discover the best online casinos available in Ireland.

So when everyone was saying it was the best performance theyd ever seen when we played Mexico, I nearly fell off my chair.

Yes, it was a heroic and exciting game, and I could use another hundred words to describe it, but best? I was probably an outlier.

I dont think weve played to our potential at all. Against Norway, they were the better team, and I dont think one of their players can get in our team.

You can argue Haaland and Kane, but thats down to personal preference, and I dont think any of their players can get in our team, and yet they were the better team on the day.

Put it this way; if England had been knocked out thered be a massive inquest by now. How have Congo beaten us? How have Norway or Mexico beaten us?

Mexicos best player just about gets in the Fulham team.

We havent played anyone really that should beat us, so theres room for improvement. I think there will be improvement and I genuinely think we can go all the way to the final.

Reigning champions Argentina havent impressed former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United and Manchester United striker Owen either.

I think they have been reasonably fortunate to get through, they havent been convincing, theyve probably had, even more so than England, a lucky path to the semi-finals, he said.

They havent had to play a top team yet, rather like England, and they have not been convincing at all.

I certainly can see us winning. Personally I think the other semi-final is the one. I would have thought the winners of the tournament would come from that.

But I can definitely see England having a right chance.

Is he worried that a lot of the big refereeing decisions seem to be going the way of Lionel Messi and his Argentina side?

Im not really a conspiracy theorist, to be honest, Owen replied.

England won the other day and everyone was talking about the ball hitting the wire, which obviously it did, and normally you would expect a drop-ball

But I dont think referees are looking at things like that and thinking, who do I want to win, Im going to turn a blind eye to it. But I might be wrong!

He added: If we are going to beat France or Spain we are going to have to string more than three passes together.

England have been close on a number of occasions in recent years to ending the long wait for another major trophy, to sit alongside their 1966 World Cup win.

Owen believes the heartache from their semi-final defeat in the 2018 World Cup, and the two European Championship final defeats to Italy and Spain, can fire Tuchels men to glory.

Those experiences, there are very few teams that come from nowhere and win a major tournament, he said.

It does take teams to come from second to win it. Apart from Leicester in the Premier League, nobody just comes and wins it.

I do think the experience of going far has a massive role to play and a lot of these players have played in huge games before, so they know what it takes. I think that makes a difference.

Semi-final of a World Cup, then the final of two Euros, we are knocking on the door and gaining experience. I think itll be a massive benefit.

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