For 206 international caps and 125 goals, Lionel Messi has somehow never played against England. That ends tonight in Atlanta, with a spot in the World Cup final on the line against the Three Lions.
England hasn’t made a final since winning the whole thing in 1966. Argentina has Messi, who at 39 is still leading the Golden Boot race with eight goals and two assists at this tournament. So the math is pretty simple for Thomas Tuchel’s team: figure out how to slow him down, or go home.
Here’s the thing about stopping Messi at this stage of his career. He doesn’t cover ground like he used to. According to tournament tracking data, he has walked 47 percent of the distance he’s covered in this World Cup — the highest walking percentage of any outfield player. But that doesn’t mean he’s less dangerous. It means he picks his spots more carefully. And when he gets the ball in the right spot, he’s still the best in the world at hurting you.
Cut off the supply lines before they start
The obvious first move is don’t let him have the ball. Easy to say, harder to do. Argentina builds everything through him, even when he’s nowhere near goal. His midfielders and full-backs are constantly looking for him. Tuchel and his staff have been drilling England’s midfielders all week on staying alert to Messi’s positioning and closing the passing lanes before the ball even gets to him.
Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are going to have to be especially sharp. They can’t just press wildly. They need to read where Argentina wants to go with the ball and shut it down early. Because once Messi gets it on the half-turn, the whole dynamic shifts.
Push him wide and make him uncomfortable
Messi is still lethal from central areas, especially around the D. That’s been his killing ground for two decades. But from tight angles, even he is less effective. England’s full-backs and center-backs need to work together to shepherd him toward the sideline and deny him that cutting inside move he’s made famous.
In Miami’s heat, that kind of coordinated pressing would be a huge ask. But inside Atlanta’s air-conditioned stadium, England should have the legs to do it. It’s a detail that matters more than people realize.
Don’t give away cheap free kicks
Messi isn’t just dangerous from open play. He’s still one of the best free-kick takers in the world. He showed it against Jordan in the group stage, when he came off the bench and buried a direct free kick. Sure, the Jordan wall had a gap and the keeper was badly positioned. But Messi has made a career out of punishing those mistakes. England’s coaches have the tape. They know.
The message to Rice, Bellingham, Elliot Anderson and everyone else defending near England’s box is simple: don’t foul. Don’t give him a chance to line up a dead ball from striking distance. Because if you do, Messi will make you pay. He always has.
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