World Cup 2026: Lionel Messi set for England debut

There are very few things that Lionel Messi has not done on the football field.

But the semi-final meeting between Argentina and England is at 20:00 BST on Wednesday in Atlanta. Live on BBC One and BBC iPlayerThe eight-time Ballon d’Or winner offers a completely new experience.

Messi played more than 200 games and scored 125 goals for Argentina, but he never met the Three Lions.

The 39-year-old was tipped to be denied a first meeting with England when Switzerland finished in Saturday’s quarter-finals – but Argentina eventually won 3-1 in extra-time.

Messi failed to score in that win for the first time in this competition, but still leads the competition. Golden shoe competition He has scored eight times with France’s Kylian Mbappe as the all-time top scorer at the World Cup.

“England can beat Argentina but they only have that little genius Messi. Everyone is playing for him. Everyone should be happy,” said BBC pundit Micah Richards.

“It’s impossible to mark him because he doesn’t run back. He gets into small spaces where he shouldn’t be. He changes at the right time (and) he’s got the best technique. His spatial awareness is fantastic. He’s got a great shot.

“Most of all, he got what Judah (Bellingham) got and that’s what makes Judah so great, he has a personality and an aura.”

“Messi has the greatest aura of any football player.

How much should England fear the Inter Miami striker?

“I think Thomas Tuchel and the England players will relish the opportunity to play this Argentina team in their current form, because this is not a great Argentina team, but they have the experience of finding a way,” Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live.

On BBC Sport, former England striker Wayne Rooney said that Messi’s contribution in defense is minimal, but he can define games with quality in key moments.

Rooney said: “Defensively, it can be weak for Argentina.”

“He doesn’t run back, but he has a bit of big moments like Jude Bellingham. He has big moments and quality moments. The thing with Messi is his decisions – he comes to life in the game and makes the right decisions.

“Lionel Messi’s marking is about concentration and communication. It’s about talking to your team-mates about picking areas you might not pick up on.”

The match against England is the semi-final Argentina need, South American football expert Tim Vickery told 5 Live.

“Lionel Messi could not complete an international career of more than 200 games without playing against a team that Argentina fans see as their biggest rivals,” Vickery said.

“In the second half the fans were going up and down chanting ‘It’s an Englishman who can’t skip’. You hear it a lot, you hear it a lot.”