Lionel Messi says facing England at the World Cup will be “something special” | OneFootball

The World Cup has reached its climax, with both semifinals about to be played. In a few hours, Spain will face France, while Argentina will take on England on Wednesday.

These are two matches that go beyond soccer, carrying the weight of history and the current political climate surrounding all four nations.

However, I am not here to give a history lesson about what happened between England and Argentina 40 years ago. Instead, I am here to discuss Lionel Messi’s recent comments regarding the English national team.

Lionel Messi: “Facing England will be special!”

Surprisingly, Lionel Messi has never played against England in an official soccer match. The only potential meeting was a friendly scheduled in 2005. That day, England beat Argentina 3-2.

But what’s the reason behind Messi not participating during that game, if he was already being called up to the national team at that time? The simple reason is that he received a red card in a previous friendly match against Bulgaria.

Yes, that famous game, where Messi was expelled in his first 20 seconds of his debut. That’s why he doesn’t have a record against the Three Lions.

Now, with less than 48 hours to go before a historic clash against the European side, the Inter Miami captain had this to say during his pre-match press conference:

“Facing England will be special! It’s my first time playing against England. I’ve played against just about everyone except them. They are a great team, a football powerhouse; it’s always exciting to face opponents like that.”

And, to be fair, the Argentine superstar has a point. If England have shown anything at this World Cup, it is that whenever Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham decide to take control, they can spectacularly carry the team.

However, it hasn't all been smooth sailing.

The Three Lions have struggled in nearly every match they've played against opponents considered to be of a lower footballing caliber.

On the other side stands Lionel Messi, who is enjoying a spectacular and unforgettable World Cup. Tied with Kylian Mbappé as the tournament’s leading scorer and now the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, what the 39-year-old is accomplishing is almost unimaginable.

It adds even more weight to this clash between South America and Europe because whoever loses will find it difficult to recover from a defeat in a rivalry that stretches back decades.

Both semifinals are two games you don’t want to miss.