Argentina captain Lionel Messi has described his nation’s upcoming World Cup semi-final tie against England as special. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.
Relishing the chance to finally face the Three Lions on the international stage, Messi revealed that while he was not yet born to witness the 1986 World Cup quarter-final clash between both countries, the imagery remains a core part of the Argentinian identity.
Lionel added that England will be a memorable opponent because they are a football powerhouse.
His words, “Everything I have seen and remember [about Argentina vs. England from 1986] is from videos and images that Argentinians constantly watch and relive.
But I think this group is used to playing football matches regardless of the opponent. Obviously, playing against England is special because they are a powerhouse, and matches against powerhouses are always special.
Personally, it’s the first time I’m going to play against them. I’ve played against everyone except England, so it will be nice for that reason too. And we’ll experience it for what it is: a World Cup semifinal against a powerhouse, a great team, and we’ll try to arrive in the best possible shape to compete again.”
Lionel Messi, also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record seven Ballon d’Or awards and a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 he was named to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team.
Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 35 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and the UEFA Champions League four times.
With his country, he won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (eight), and most assists in La Liga (192) and the Copa América (17).
He also has the most international goals by a South American male (103). Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club (672).
