By our reporter 12.7.2026
Argentina star player Lionel Messi said he is looking forward to playing his first ever match against England in Tuesday’s semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
England and Argentina have a football rivalry since the 1986 World Cup when Diego Maradona outwitted them in the quarter final. Messi is hoping to do the same when they clash in Atlanta Stadium.
“A match against England is always special because they are one of the strongest teams in the world. I have played against almost all the top national teams, with the exception of England. That is why I am looking forward to this match. We treat this game as a World Cup semi-final and will do our best to win,” said Messi.
Lionel Messi is showing excellent form in the current tournament. He is currently tied with Kylian Mbappé in the top scorers’ race with 8 goals. Notably, Messi has become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, with a total of 21 goals. He managed to score against Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Egypt in the group stage and early knockout rounds.
Meanwhile teammate Julian Alvarez said the team will do everything in their power to ensure Messi goes who with the title to compensate him for being a good leader and inspiration to the ‘La Albiceleste.’
“We will do everything in our power so that Messi wins the World Cup once again. For him, every match is a real battle. The first thing I did after scoring was to hug Messi,” the striker was quoted as saying by The Touchline.
Lionel Messi...striking for Argentina.