ATLANTA (Kashmir English): Lionel Messi of Argentina will have a chance to meet England – for the first time in his glorious career – as his team takes on the European side in the second semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026, today.
The 39-year-old Argentinian great has never taken on England in his career spanning over six world cups and today he will finally get the chance in today’s semi-final.
The second semi-final between Argentina and England will start midnight between Wednesday, July 15, and Thursday, July 16, 2026 Pakistan Time at Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes-Benz Stadium).
Messi won his 200th cap for the Albiceleste in the group-stage victory against Algeria and dreams of leading his country to the final once again.
Messi is surely in the final days of a remarkable international career which began when he was a fresh-faced 18-year-old in 2005.
Messi will play against the Three Lions for the very first time under the roof of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
“I have played against everyone except England and it is special because they are a major nation, a powerhouse, and it is always nice to play against a side like that, especially in a World Cup semi-final,” said Messi after Argentina beat Switzerland in Kansas City in the last eight.
Emulating Maradona
The man who rivalled Diego Maradona by inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago will now hope to leave a similar mark on England as his legendary predecessor.
Any meeting of these nations evokes memories of the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, when Maradona punched in to score the ‘Hand of God’ opener and then ran past half the England defence for his team’s second goal.
Messi has not scored one quite like that, but ahead of the semi-finals of the ongoing tournament, he had scored more World Cup goals than any other player.
With 21 goals from a tournament record 32 appearances, he led France skipper Kylian Mbappe by one after the quarter-finals.
Brazil in 1962 World Cup
Argentina are now just one game away from reaching another World Cup final, as they aim to become the first nation to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.
It would be a third final in four World Cups, and Messi could follow in the footsteps of Brazil great Cafu. The full-back played in three in a row from 1994 to 2002 — even Maradona only played in two.
“Getting to another semi-final is not a normal, mundane thing, so this is something we should really enjoy because we don’t know if it will happen again,” Messi said.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Nico O’Reilly, who is likely to come up against Messi if he starts at left-back, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“He’s coming towards the end of his career. For me personally, he’s the best player to ever touch a football pitch. And yeah, I can’t wait for the challenge.”
