Lionel Messi has conquered nearly every challenge in football, but one notable opponent has remained missing from his remarkable international career—England. That will finally change when Argentina face the Three Lions in the FIFA World Cup semi-final on Wednesday. The 39-year-old Argentine captain recently earned his 200th international appearance during Argentina’s group-stage victory over Algeria. Now, his focus is firmly on guiding the reigning world champions to yet another World Cup final.
A Long-Awaited Meeting
Despite representing Argentina for more than two decades, Messi has never played against England at senior level. Ironically, he was originally set to face them in a friendly back in 2005 but missed the match after receiving a red card on his international debut. Messi made his Argentina debut in August 2005 under coach José Pekerman in a friendly against Hungary. Coming off the bench in the 64th minute, his first appearance lasted just 90 seconds before he was sent off following an incident the referee deemed worthy of a red card.
The dismissal also ruled him out of a scheduled friendly against England later that year, meaning Wednesday’s semi-final will mark the first meeting between Messi and the Three Lions. Speaking after Argentina’s quarter-final victory over Switzerland, Messi admitted he has been looking forward to the opportunity.
Following in Maradona’s Footsteps
Whenever Argentina and England meet at the World Cup, memories immediately return to the famous 1986 quarter-final in Mexico, where Diego Maradona scored both the controversial “Hand of God” goal and one of the greatest solo goals in football history. Messi has already cemented his own legacy after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago, but another standout performance against England would add another memorable chapter to his incredible career.
Chasing More Records
Messi continues to rewrite football history. Heading into the semi-finals, he has scored 21 World Cup goals in a record 32 tournament appearances, placing him ahead of France captain Kylian Mbappé in the scoring charts. Although he didn’t score in Argentina’s quarter-final victory over Switzerland, teammates such as Julián Álvarez stepped up to ensure the defending champions continued their title defence.
Argentina are now just one victory away from reaching another World Cup final as they attempt to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the trophy. Should they make it, Messi would reach his third World Cup final—matching a feat achieved by Brazilian legend Cafu, who appeared in three consecutive finals between 1994 and 2002. Reflecting on the achievement of reaching another semi-final, Messi urged his teammates to appreciate the moment.
England Ready for the Challenge
England know stopping Messi will be one of their toughest tasks yet. Young defender Nico O’Reilly, who could find himself directly marking the Argentine superstar, expressed his admiration ahead of the contest.
With a place in the World Cup final at stake, football fans around the world can expect another unforgettable chapter in the legendary career of Lionel Messi.
