New Delhi: Argentina captain Lionel Messi is preparing for a unique milestone in his remarkable international career as he gets ready to face England for the first time in a FIFA World Cup semifinal.
Despite representing Argentina for more than two decades and playing against every other World Cup winning nation, Messi has never faced England in an international match. That will change when Argentina take on the Three Lions in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal, with a place in the final on the line.
Speaking ahead of the highly anticipated encounter, Messi described the occasion as special, saying England were one of the few major football nations he had never played against. He added that facing a traditional football powerhouse in a World Cup semifinal makes the experience even more memorable.
The 39 year old has previously taken on teams including Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France during his distinguished international career. His closest opportunity to play England came in a friendly in 2005, but he missed that match after being suspended following a red card on his senior Argentina debut against Hungary.
Argentina secured their semifinal place with a 3 1 extra time victory over Switzerland. Messi contributed an assist for Alexis Mac Allister’s opening goal, while Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez added the decisive strikes. Notably, it was the first World Cup match since Argentina’s group stage win over Poland in 2022 in which Messi did not score.
The defending champions have overcome a series of difficult knockout matches to remain in contention for back to back World Cup titles. After edging past Cape Verde in extra time and recovering from a two goal deficit to defeat Egypt, Argentina have once again demonstrated their resilience on the biggest stage.
Messi acknowledged the physical demands of the tournament but expressed confidence in the squad’s ability to continue competing at the highest level. The semifinal also renews one of football’s most historic rivalries, with England and Argentina meeting in a competitive fixture for the first time since the 2002 FIFA World Cup. A victory would move Argentina one step closer to successfully defending the World Cup title.
