Messi Has Never Faced England in an Official Match — That Changes in a World Cup Semi-Final
With 125 goals and over 200 caps for Argentina, Messi has never faced England in an official game. That changes in a World Cup semi-final — and Tuchel already has a plan.
Over 200 appearances. One hundred and twenty-five goals. An entire career wearing the albiceleste — and Lionel Messi has never set foot on a pitch against England in an official match. Not once. That changes on Wednesday (15th), in a World Cup semi-final that history has already earmarked for something special.
On the other side stands Thomas Tuchel, England's head coach, facing the most thankless task in football: building a plan to contain the best player on the planet in a game with a World Cup final on the line. According to Trivela, the England coaching staff are working on exactly that — how to limit Messi and reach the final.
Golmetria's model places Argentina as favourites to lift the trophy, with a 23.6% chance of being crowned champions, compared to 15.3% for England. In the semi-final, the ELO gap between the two sides — 2113 to 2020 — says a great deal about where the favouritism lies.
But football isn't played on paper. England have made it this far in full force, and Tuchel is precisely the kind of manager who relishes an impossible tactical challenge. The first-ever meeting between Messi and the English, in a semi-final no less, is the kind of game you tell your grandchildren about.
Wednesday will answer the question football has never had to ask before: how does England stop Messi when everything is on the line?