There are very few things Lionel Messi has not done on a football pitch. But when Thomas Tuchel’s England walk out for their World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday at 20:00 BST in Atlanta, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will be walking into completely uncharted territory.
Despite 200-plus caps and 125 international goals, Messi has never faced the Three Lions in his senior career. That wait is over, and as England fans gear up for one of the most high-stakes, historically charged fixtures in international football, the primary question echoes: How on earth do you stop Lionel Messi and beat Argentina!?
The Threat of the Little Genius
Messi might be 39, but his aura remains as potent as ever. Having already netted eight times in this tournament, thus making him the joint-top scorer in the Golden Boot race alongside Kylian Mbappe, he remains the gravitational center of this Argentina side.
- The Spatial Ghost: As former England defender Micah Richards notes, marking Messi is an “impossible” task in the traditional sense. “He goes into little spaces where he shouldn’t really be. He switches on at the right times [and] he’s got the best technique and physique.”
- The Decisive Intellect: Former England captain Wayne Rooney highlights Messi’s unrivaled decision-making. “He comes to life in moments of the game and he makes the right decision.”
England’s Tactical Blueprint
While this isn’t necessarily a vintage Argentine squad, Chris Sutton points out they “aren’t a great Argentina team but they do have a habit of finding a way”. England must therefore deploy a flawless collective strategy to neutralize the threat.
1. Exploit the Defensive Deficit
Messi famously does not track back. Rooney identifies this as a potential defensive weakness for Argentina. If England can quickly transition the ball through the midfield, they will essentially be playing with a momentary numerical advantage. Cape Verde utilized this to score amazing goals against Argentina!
2. Flawless Zonal Communication
Man-marking Messi is a fool’s errand because he drops so deep and wanders into spaces between the lines. England’s defensive midfielders and center-backs must master handovers. Marking him, according to Rooney, is entirely about “concentration and communication… picking up positions you might not usually pick up.”
3. Prepare for the Supporting Cast
England cannot hyper-fixate on Messi to the detriment of everything else. In Saturday’s gruelling quarter-final against Switzerland, Messi was uncharacteristically kept off the scoresheet. However, Argentina still triumphed 3-1 in extra time, with Julián Alvarez saving his captain and Lautaro Martínez putting the final nail in the coffin. Cutting the supply lines from midfielders like Alexis Mac Allister will be just as crucial as stopping the number 10 himself.
A Rivalry Renewed
For nearly 21 years, this fixture has been dormant, but the blood still runs hot. From Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ in 1986 to David Beckham’s infamous red card in 1998, this is a rivalry that defines World Cups.
As South American football expert Tim Vickery points out, this is the exact match the Argentine public wanted. “Lionel Messi couldn’t possibly end an international career… without playing the team that Argentina fans see as their biggest rival.” Prepare to hear the terraces of Atlanta booming with the chant: “He who doesn’t jump is an Englishman.”
ABT NEWS VERDIT: England has the pace, the youth, and the structural discipline to bypass Argentina. But on Wednesday, their World Cup dreams depend entirely on whether they can keep international football’s ultimate genius quiet for 90 minutes. That will be the game changer!! And on a humorous side, one Argentine pundit has already opined that whichever country that wins the match should be given the Falkland Islands!
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