Messi Has Never Faced England — and That Changes Wednesday
Messi has never played against England — and that changes Wednesday in Atlanta. Everything about the most history-laden semifinal of the 2026 World Cup.
Sixty years of waiting for England. More than two decades since the last meeting between these sides. And, for Lionel Messi, an absolute debut against the English — at 38, in a World Cup semifinal. If you were looking for a match to stop the world, you just found it.
Argentina and England meet Wednesday in Atlanta, in a reunion that goes far beyond football. The rivalry began in 1962, ran through Maradona's Hand of God in 1986, Beckham's red card in 1998, and a redemptive penalty in 2002 — and now arrives at its most loaded chapter yet, with the reigning world champions on one side and the nation that hasn't lifted the trophy since 1966 on the other.
Argentina got here on the edge. Two of their three knockout matches went to extra time, including a comeback against Switzerland sealed by a stunning Julián Álvarez goal deep into added time. Scaloni has managed the team for nearly eight years — and the legacy is already written. Now it's about more.
On the English side, the name is Jude Bellingham. The Real Madrid midfielder scored in two consecutive knockout matches, a feat that, according to BBC Sport, hadn't been seen since Maradona in 1986 — the very man who dismantled England at that tournament. Gary Neville was blunt: "I've never seen anything like it," he said of the No. 10's performances. But there is tension in the air: Tuchel publicly criticised the team's display after the win over Norway, and Bellingham hit back. Kane tried to douse the flames: "we have another level we can reach," the captain said.
Golmetria's model sees Spain as the favourite to lift the trophy, with a 35% chance — but Argentina (24%) and England (15%) still have real paths to the final. The market also leans Spanish, but none of those probabilities can account for what happens when Messi steps onto a pitch against England for the very first time in his life.
Atlanta. Wednesday. History.