Pete Crow-Armstrong is in a weird spot. The Chicago Cubs outfielder loves watching Lionel Messi play soccer. Thinks he’s one of the greatest athletes ever. But Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina? He’s pulling for the Three Lions.
Fox Sports caught up with PCA ahead of the match and asked him who he’s backing. His answer was basically: I hate this, but here we are.
“You never wanna see Messi get eliminated from anything,” Crow-Armstrong said. “That guy is, he is one of the best athletes ever and just a joy to watch. But I got to see England do it. I love what Jude Bellingham’s doing. Harry Kane still leading the squad. So I think England should do it.”
Why PCA Is Betting on England
Crow-Armstrong’s reasoning is solid. Bellingham has been unreal this tournament — scoring, threading long passes, breaking up plays in midfield. He’s doing everything. And Kane is having what might be his best World Cup in an England shirt. The Bayern Munich striker has 85 goals in 120 appearances for his country. But this time, the team is actually built to make him dangerous.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has figured out what Gareth Southgate never quite did. Kane isn’t just a target man. He drops deep. He draws defenders out. That opens space for Bellingham to attack the box. And Tuchel’s insistence on playing wingers like Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke — sometimes over Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka — keeps the defense spread thin.
Argentina Still Has Messi
Argentina isn’t exactly a pushover. Messi is 38 now, but he’s still tied for the Golden Boot lead with eight goals alongside Kylian Mbappe. The defending champions are very much alive. But they’re also old, and their path to the final runs through a deeper, more versatile England squad.
Crow-Armstrong’s loyalty might be a proxy for something else. America is deep in World Cup fever. The tournament ends this weekend with England-Argentina winner facing Spain. And for a guy who grew up watching soccer and now plays baseball at the highest level, seeing England finally get over the line — that’s a story.
Kane and Bellingham are the reason. Messi is the reason it hurts to root against them.
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