Jordan Pickford has a message for anyone who thinks the World Cup semifinal boils down to stopping one man. Yes, Lionel Messi is still doing Lionel Messi things at 39 years old. Yes, he’s an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who keeps showing up on the biggest stage. But England’s goalkeeper isn’t falling for the tunnel vision.
“Of course everyone will talk about Messi because he’s one of the GOATs of the game,” Pickford said. “But you can’t look past the ability and the talent that we’ve got in the squad.”
It’s the first time England and Argentina have met in over 20 years. That alone adds a layer of tension given the history between the two nations. But Pickford isn’t treating this like some kind of revenge match or a grudge game. He’s treating it like the football match it is: England vs. the reigning champions, winner goes to the final.
England’s Self-Belief Is Loud and Clear
Pickford ticked through what he sees as England’s strengths without any hesitation. “Going forward, defensively, togetherness, we’ve got it all there and that’s what we need to put on show on Wednesday.” He didn’t stop there. “But we also can’t just talk about Messi. They’re a good side and they’re reigning champions.”
It’s a sharp point. Argentina isn’t a one-man team even if Messi is the headliner. They have a system, they have composure, and they have a title to defend. England’s last World Cup final appearance was 1966. That’s a long wait. Pickford knows the weight of that.
“We’ve got so much ability in our squad going forward and we’re hard to break down. We’ve got that resilience, we’ve got that togetherness and we’ve got that mentality. That’s what makes a good team.”
No Underdog Mentality Here
England isn’t sneaking up on anyone. They’re one of four teams left standing in a World Cup semifinal, and Pickford made clear they’re coming to win, not just compete. “I think anyone in front of us, we’re ready and want to beat,” he said. “Same as Argentina, they want to come and beat us but it’s about us putting our best performance on to go and beat them.”
He’s not taking anything for granted. The keeper emphasized that every game at this level is a grind. “We know it’s going to be a tough challenge like every game is. Never take any game for granted, never take it lightly and it’s about us being on our A-game, ready for them.”
England and Argentina. Semifinal. Wednesday. Messi vs. a defense that says it’s ready for him. Pickford sounds like he means it.
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