Kane on Argentina semi and Messi: «One of the best for 20 years»

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·14 July 2026

Kane on Argentina semi and Messi: «One of the best for 20 years»

On the eve of this Wednesday’s historic clash at 4:00 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, England’s top scorer spoke about what it will be like to face the Argentine captain for the first time. In an interview with ITV Sport, the striker highlighted the striking peculiarity of this matchup: “It’s incredible to think about how long he has been at the top of his career and has never played against England. So yes, it will be a unique occasion.”

The Messi factor and how the national team functions

Despite acknowledging the star’s qualities, Kane stressed the importance of viewing the game collectively and pointed out Leo’s impact on his team:

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Respect for the opponent: “We know what a good player he is. We know what he has done in football, how consistent he has been for so long. But the match is against Argentina, not against Lionel Messi.”
Style of play: “People play football in many different ways. People say, ‘You have to run that much.’ Are there many people who can do it like him? Absolutely not, because you can’t get away with it.”
Collective confidence: “Obviously he is very effective when he has the ball, and especially in his team. When the team believes in him and everything revolves around him, that confidence spreads among them. So, you know, that is another test we will have to overcome and deal with.”

England’s confidence and Kane’s excellent form

The Bayern Munich forward did not hide his high expectations for the end of the tournament and praised the strengths of the Three Lions squad: “I think I know what we can achieve as a team, and I knew we were going to be one of the favorites going in. And with the tools we have, we are a really difficult team to beat, and we have shown that.”

On a personal level, the center forward comes into the match in top form and sent a warning toward the opposition goal: “I feel that, especially this season, I feel extremely dangerous around the penalty area, in that zone, no matter how many defenders there are. If they give me the ball there, I feel I can be effective.”

An early final after 24 years of waiting

The match in Atlanta will end a run of six World Cups without an official meeting between the two countries. The last time they faced each other for points was at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, during the group stage. On that occasion, the British side claimed a 1-0 victory thanks to a David Beckham penalty.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.