ไทย
English
中國人
There is never an ideal moment to face Lionel Messi, but for England, this particular encounter feels like an especially daunting first clash.
England vs. Argentina requires no additional storylines. The fixture has always been must-watch television—loaded with hostility, drama and the burden of history, both on and off the pitch. With a berth in the 2026 World Cup final at stake, all of that is magnified tenfold.
Yet one of the most compelling individual storylines of the semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will center on Messi, with football's greatest-ever player pursuing back-to-back titles and the opportunity to write the perfect closing chapter to his international legacy.
Remarkably, the 39-year-old, eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has never faced the Three Lions in a 21-year senior career. That changes on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Messi's Magical Run to the Semis
With more than three years having passed since Argentina hoisted the World Cup trophy in Qatar, anyone anticipating an older, diminished Messi to take a back seat this time around has been proven spectacularly wrong.
Across six matches so far, the Argentina captain has contributed eight goals and two assists—his finest personal tally at any World Cup.
He has gone without a goal in just one match (the quarterfinal victory over Switzerland), yet still managed to tee up Alexis Mac Allister's opener with a cross. That assist brought Messi's World Cup tally to 10, more than any other player in tournament history.
Earlier this summer, he also surpassed Miroslav Klose to become the competition's all-time top scorer with 21 goals to his name.
Speaking following the quarterfinal triumph, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni likened Messi to "a machine."
He continued: "Those who don't know him well might be surprised, and at 39 some people might think he won't rise to the occasion. But I've said it before—as long as he wants to be the best, and I'm not saying this just because I coach him, but because if he wants to keep going, he will keep being the best."
Despite Messi's dominance, Argentina has not had a straightforward path through the knockout rounds this summer, edging past Cabo Verde, Egypt and Switzerland. Even with his side's clear vulnerabilities, the Messi factor has lent an air of inevitability to this team's progress.
How England Can Stop Messi
For Messi, the mission is straightforward: reach another World Cup final and exit on the ultimate high. But for Thomas Tuchel and England, how do you prevent that from happening?
"First of all, there are many solutions, and we'll try to find the best one," Switzerland manager Murat Yakin said when asked the same question before his side's encounter with Messi.
"We will perform as a unit. We will try to make good passes and press high. We can talk all we want, but in the end, [we have to deliver] on the pitch."
Swiss captain Granit Xhaka was more candid, admitting: "I don't know if we can stop him for 90 minutes."
That assessment proved accurate, with Messi setting up Mac Allister's goal inside 10 minutes, though the disciplined Swiss did become the first team at this World Cup to prevent him from scoring directly. England will aim to go one step further on Wednesday.
Cut Off the Supply
"If you stop Messi, you stop Argentina," former England striker Alan Shearer said on Rest Is Football this week. However, a more accurate observation might be: stop Argentina, stop Messi.
The Inter Miami forward has the national team built around him, with manager Scaloni deploying a quasi-4-4-2 system that essentially grants Messi a free attacking role in front of a compact midfield designed to serve him.
The quartet of Mac Allister, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernández and Rodrigo De Paul have become specialists at dominating the midfield battle and producing a high volume of line-breaking passes, from which Messi thrives. No player has registered more attempts on goal (33) than Messi at this summer's tournament.
One thing Tuchel will be keenly aware of is the necessity to instruct his players to block the key passing lanes, cutting off Messi's supply. Meanwhile, Germany famously claimed the 2014 World Cup final by doubling and even tripling up on Messi in critical areas.
England does have experience of neutralizing elite forwards at this tournament, with Norway's Erling Haaland restricted to just 21 touches and two shots across more than 100 minutes of the quarterfinals.
Don't Let Him Turn Creator
That said, Argentina has no more dangerous creator than Messi himself, who leads all players for passes into the box at this World Cup (60)—a crucial distinction between him and a more conventional target striker like Haaland.
Extra alertness will be required from England's midfield pivots, likely Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice, to close down the space that allows Argentina's No. 10 to drop deep and assume the role of playmaker.
England's fullbacks too—an area of concern throughout this tournament—will need to be at their sharpest to prevent the kind of incisive through balls to overlapping teammates that Messi delivers so effortlessly.
As demonstrated against Algeria in the group stage opener, Messi is also comfortable shooting from range—he leads the tournament for attempts from outside the penalty area (17)—and his unpredictability in possession makes him a constant threat.
Many of Messi's opponents will confirm that the forward can appear to spend 89 minutes barely involved, then strike in a flash to settle a match with a goal or decisive pass. Sustained concentration from England's defenders will be absolutely critical.
Exploit Narrow Shape
Ultimately, England's best defensive strategy may well be to attack. While Messi has dazzled at this World Cup, England possesses two superstars of its own in outstanding form in Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
As Cabo Verde and Egypt demonstrated, an aggressive, high-pressure approach has the potential to seriously disrupt Argentina, while Messi himself contributes little defensively. England must be bold enough to exploit this through rapid transitions, despite the inherent risk of losing possession.
Enable functional cookies to see this feature.
The pace of England's wide players can pose a genuine threat to Argentina's fullbacks, with the unusually narrow midfield poorly equipped to deal with speed down the flanks, as Egypt's Haissem Hassan illustrated.
Tuchel described his side as "lucky" following the quarterfinal win over Norway. Whatever unfolds on Wednesday night, he will hope not to reach for that same word again—though there are plenty of players who might have wished for a little more fortune when confronted by Messi at his very best.