For the many mercurial things we have witnessed in the storied footballing career of one of the greatest players to have ever kicked the round leather – Lionel Messi, a date with the home of football, England was still missing.
The little magician has dazzled and pleasantly terrorised the footballing world for the past twenty years; from club to international level, but is it actually greatness if he has not yet faced the Three Lions? Say no more.
On Wednesday and at the iconic Atlanta Stadium, Argentina’s Number 10 will lead his loyal troops – like Calvary horses from the armoured destriers of the medieval nights – out against the very formidable Lions of England, who like La Albiceleste are yet to taste defeat in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Many times in the sporting world, faceoff between the greatest stars are delayed, sometimes suspiciously deliberate like in the boxing cases of Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Manny Pacquaio and even the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua match that has not materialised till now, with the boxers past their prime in these cases.
This football meeting between Lionel Messi, coached by his namesake Lionel Scaloni and Thomas Tuchel’s England national team however seems orchestrated by providence. The timing and setting is such that feels like a valedictory ceremony for a true son of the game in whom many have fallen in love once again with the beautiful game.
This occasion also comes forty years after one of the most unforgettable World Cup moments in history which occurred in this same fixture in Mexico ‘86 and which also involved the Argentina Number 10, Diego Armando Maradona – the greatest of his own era.
Historical parallels
Like in a Hollywood scripted dejavu, the Messi vs England meeting brings back memories of the 1986 tournament in some specially drawn parallels between then and now. Serial complaints over officiating and resentment over competition’s structure as seen now were all present then.
On the pitch, it is an exciting coincidence that this landmark fixture comes in the World Cup edition in which Mexico City returned as a World Cup host and which Jude Bellingham becomes England’s top scoring midfielder in a major; an honour he shares with Gary Lineker who scored against Argentina in 1986 to set that record.
Argentina have faced the most officiating scrutiny in this competition and only England’s controversial equaliser against Norway has perhaps mellowed officiating propaganda in favour of the South Americans in the buildup to Wednesday’s game, with Maradona’s “Hand of god” still fresh after 40 years.”
“Facing England will be special! It’s my first time playing against England. I’ve played against just about everyone except them.
“They are a great team, a football powerhouse, it’s always exciting to face opponents like that,” said Messi, the current joint-topscorer at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Having scored twenty-seven goals against English clubs during his club career, Messi has a requisite knowledge of how England oppositions can be. Also considering Argentina’s record of having never lost a World Cup semi-final match (after five previous outings), the team captain, having featured in two previously, knows what is at stake.
At 39, this should be Messi’s last appearance at a World Cup semi-final and what a befitting way to mark this against arguably the most complete England squad of recent memory.
Although the whole world has had to wait for this meeting for the professional lifetime of this football god, Messi has repeatedly shown that age is just a number for him, especially at the World Cup level. Certainly, it is better late to have this meeting than never to do.
