分类： sports

For 20 years of senior international football, across more than 200 appearances and 125 goals for his country, Lionel Messi has never shared a pitch with England’s men’s national team. That long-awaited gap in the 39-year-old’s legendary career will finally close this Wednesday, when Argentina and England lock horns in a 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final at Atlanta, kicking off at 20:00 BST and airing live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The historic showdown became possible only after a hard-fought quarter-final against Switzerland, where Argentina clawed their way to a 3-1 extra-time victory despite the Europeans holding momentum for large stretches of regular play.

Though Messi went goalless against Switzerland – his first scoreless match of this tournament – he still remains tied with France’s Kylian Mbappe for the tournament’s Golden Boot lead with eight strikes, and retains his status as the men’s World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer. Ahead of the unprecedented meeting, football pundits have weighed in on what England can expect from the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, and just how much of a threat the Inter Miami forward poses.

BBC pundit Micah Richards called the matchup one that all football fans should be excited for, noting that England’s biggest challenge will be containing an otherworldly talent who cannot be marked through traditional means. “Marking him is impossible because he doesn’t run back. He goes into little spaces where he shouldn’t really be. He switches on at the right times [and] he’s got the best technique. His spatial awareness is fantastic. He’s got a great shot,” Richards said. He added that Messi, like England’s own Jude Bellingham, carries an unmatchable on-pitch personality and aura, calling Messi’s aura “next level” among all active footballers.

Former England striker Chris Sutton offered a more tempered perspective, telling BBC Radio 5 Live that England should view the matchup as an exciting opportunity rather than a daunting one. “I think Thomas Tuchel and the England players will be relishing the prospect of playing this Argentina team in its current guise, its current form, because this isn’t a great Argentina team but they do have a habit of finding a way,” Sutton explained. Ex-England forward Wayne Rooney echoed that take, pointing out that Messi offers little defensive output for Argentina, which could be an exploitable weakness – but warned that the captain can single-handedly change a match with moments of unrivaled quality. “He doesn’t run back, but he has big moments a bit like with Jude Bellingham. He has big moments and moments of quality. The thing with Messi is his decision-making – he comes to life in moments of the game and he makes the right decision,” Rooney said, adding that consistent concentration and communication between England defenders will be key to limiting the Argentine icon.

South American football expert Tim Vickery emphasized that this semi-final is the matchup Argentina has been waiting for. “Lionel Messi couldn’t possibly end an international career, over 200 matches, without playing the team that Argentina fans see as their biggest rival,” Vickery told 5 Live, recalling that Argentine fans already chanted “he who doesn’t jump is an Englishman” during the Switzerland quarter-final, a taunt that will likely echo through Atlanta on Wednesday.

The England-Argentina rivalry is one of the most storied and dramatic in international football, with decades of iconic moments shaping the feud. From Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal that knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, to David Beckham’s controversial red card at the 1998 World Cup, every encounter between the two sides has delivered high-stakes drama. What makes this semi-final even more historic is that it will be the first meeting between the two nations in nearly 21 years, and the first ever for Messi in a senior Argentina shirt.

Messi made his senior Argentina debut in 2005 at 18, after leading the nation to a World Youth Championship title earlier that year. Just months after his debut, England and Argentina met in a friendly in Geneva – but Messi was forced to watch from the sidelines, suspended after being sent off just 30 seconds into his senior debut against Hungary. In that goalless (for Messi) contest, Argentina twice took the lead before Michael Owen scored two late dramatic goals to hand England a 3-2 victory under manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. That friendly remains the only senior meeting between the two nations since Messi entered the international scene, leaving the Wednesday semi-final as a completely new milestone for both sides.

Messi’s career goal record against other nations shows his consistent dominance across every level of opposition. He has scored 11 goals in 12 matches against Bolivia, his favorite opponent, seven goals against both Venezuela and Ecuador, and five and six against South American giants Brazil and Uruguay respectively. Against European opposition, he has scored three goals each against Croatia, Switzerland, and France – including a memorable double in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup final victory over France. Of all the nations Messi has faced more than once, only Qatar has managed to keep him off the scoresheet across two meetings.

ATLANTA — In a tense, physical FIFA World Cup quarterfinal clash that went the distance, Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi saw his historic nine-match World Cup scoring run come to an end against Switzerland Saturday night — but the living legend still dictated the match’s outcome, setting up the opening goal to help propel defending champions Argentina to a 3-1 extra-time victory. The win books Argentina’s spot in the tournament semifinals, where they will face off against England this Wednesday in Atlanta.

The match’s first breakthrough came just 10 minutes in, when Messi crafted a corner opportunity with a brilliant display of close control and skillful footwork. The Inter Miami star sent a pinpoint cross into the penalty area, where Alexis Mac Allister converted a clinical header to put Argentina up 1-0. While the opening goal came from Messi’s playmaking, the 39-year-old took a hard blow to the area near his right eye in the second half, requiring on-field attention from training staff to patch him up for the remainder of the match.

Switzerland held firm to level the scoreline in the 67th minute, forcing the tightly contested knockout match into 30 minutes of extra time. With fatigue setting in for both sides, Julian Alvarez broke the deadlock with an unstoppable 112th-minute strike that curled into the top corner of the Swiss net, before Lautaro Martinez iced the win with a late closing goal to seal the 3-1 final score.

Heading into the matchup, Swiss head coach Murat Yakin faced widespread media questioning about how his side planned to contain Messi, who entered the match as co-leader in the tournament’s Golden Boot race alongside France’s Kylian Mbappé. Yakin joked that the question was unsurprising, noting that his staff had prepared multiple game plans to stop the Argentine, adding that the real test would be executing those plans on the pitch. In the end, the Swiss side largely delivered on their goal of shutting down Messi’s scoring: they successfully held the all-time tournament leading goalscorer, who has 21 career World Cup goals to his name, off the scoresheet, snapping his streak that included goals in six consecutive knockout round matches.

Messi’s run of form at this year’s tournament has already cemented his status as the tournament’s standout player. A little over three weeks before the Swiss clash, Messi opened his World Cup campaign at the same venue with his first-ever World Cup hat trick, leading Argentina to a 3-0 opening group stage win over Algeria. He carried that form through the knockout rounds, notching eight goals heading into the quarterfinal. His tournament has not been without close calls, however: he missed penalty chances against both Austria and Egypt, with the second miss leaving Argentina trailing 2-0 and on the brink of elimination. Even in that high-pressure moment, Messi stepped up to turn the tide: he assisted Cristian Romero’s 79th-minute header to get Argentina on the board, then scored an equalizer four minutes later against Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, before Enzo Fernandez scored a stoppage-time winner to send Argentina through to the quarterfinal.

With many speculating that this tournament could be Messi’s last appearance on the World Cup stage with Argentina’s national team, Argentine head coach Lionel Scaloni heaped praise on the veteran playmaker, comparing his consistent elite performance to that of a well-oiled machine. “Those that are not so much acquainted with him might be surprised, and at 39 years of age some people might think he will not rise to the challenge,” Scaloni said. “But I’ve said this before, as long as he wants to be the best — and I’m not saying this because I’m coaching him — but because if he wants to continue, he will continue to be the best.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A dramatic turning point unfolded in Saturday night’s World Cup quarterfinal clash between Switzerland and Argentina, as Swiss striker Breel Embolo was ejected from the match following a VAR review that exposed his attempt to feign a foul tackle. The incident, which altered the course of the tightly contested game, marked only the second time the tournament’s “mistaken identity” VAR protocol has been used to reverse a yellow card booking.

Initially, Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes was issued a yellow card for what referees believed was a reckless tackle that sent Embolo to the turf. But when the video assistant referee pulled the clip for closer examination, clear footage proved Embolo had already begun falling to the ground before Paredes made any physical contact. What looked like a standard foul was actually a deliberate attempt to draw a wrongful penalty against Argentina.

The booking fell to Embolo instead, and the timing of the card proved devastating for Switzerland: Embolo had already received a yellow card earlier in the match, so the second infraction elevated to a red card ejection. With the score locked at 1-1, the Swiss side was forced to play the entire remainder of the high-stakes knockout match with just 10 men on the pitch.

The red card came just moments after Swiss winger Dan Ndoye had scored the equalizing goal to level the match, swinging all momentum back in Switzerland’s favor. Embolo’s ejection immediately flipped that momentum back to Argentina, turning the tide of the quarterfinal in a single, game-altering sequence.

The reversal of the original booking via the “mistaken identity” protocol is a rare occurrence at the World Cup. This protocol explicitly permits VAR to step in when match officials incorrectly award a card to the wrong player, a rule that was invoked for only the second time throughout this tournament. The sequence added another layer of controversy to a knockout match already packed with tension, highlighting how VAR continues to reshape the landscape of high-stakes international soccer.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The 2024 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal clash between Argentina and Switzerland delivered another iconic early moment from soccer legend Lionel Messi, who helped the defending champions grab a critical 1-0 halftime lead on Saturday night. A perfectly placed corner kick from Messi found the head of teammate Alexis Mac Allister in the 10th minute, putting the tournament favorites ahead before most fans had even settled into their seats at Arrowhead Stadium.

Coming into the match, Switzerland’s defensive organization had been one of the biggest stories of the tournament. The Swiss side had given up just three goals across their first five matches, and they looked set to continue that form when they controlled possession in the opening minutes of the contest. But Messi, whose career has been defined by game-changing moments on the world’s biggest stage, turned the tide in an instant. After helping force the corner, he stepped up to take the set piece and delivered a cross that cut through the Swiss penalty area perfectly for Mac Allister’s finish.

The early goal holds multiple notable layers for both sides. It marks the earliest goal Argentina has scored throughout this entire World Cup run, and it is the first time Switzerland has found itself trailing in any match this tournament. For Argentina, the early strike also lifted a tangible weight off the squad heading into the rest of the match. The defending champions have navigated a rocky knockout stage so far: they only narrowly defeated Cape Verde in extra time to open the elimination round, and just days earlier, they needed a dramatic late comeback – three goals in 11 minutes – to erase a 2-0 deficit and defeat Egypt.

Argentina, a three-time World Cup winner that currently holds the tournament title, is chasing history in this year’s competition. A win against Switzerland would see them advance to the semifinal, putting them one step closer to becoming the first men’s national team to successfully defend a World Cup crown since Brazil accomplished the feat in 1962. Waiting for the winner of the quarterfinal is England, who secured a 2-1 win over Norway earlier the same day to book their semifinal spot. The upcoming semifinal is scheduled to take place Wednesday in Atlanta.

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — The humid 92-degree heat of South Florida could not stop Jude Bellingham from writing a new chapter of World Cup history on Saturday. The 21-year-old Real Madrid midfield star delivered two clutch goals to lift England to a dramatic 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Norway, booking the Three Lions a spot in the tournament’s final four for the first time since 2018.

The match opened with a brief moment of silence to honor 25-year-old South African midfielder Jayden Adams, whose passing was announced earlier the same day, before play got underway. It did not take long for the underdog Norwegian side to shock the heavily favored English squad. Andreas Schjelderup, making just his second start of the tournament, stunned England, which had dominated possession to that point, in the 36th minute when his shot ricocheted off the right post and rolled into the net. The young winger, who set up both of Erling Haaland’s goals in Norway’s round-of-16 upset win over Brazil, celebrated as his teammates lifted him onto their shoulders, while England’s Harry Kane lingered near midfield, appealing for an uncalled foul.

Schjelderup’s opening strike put Norway ahead going into halftime, but Bellingham responded with a close-range equalizer before the break that drew a deafening roar from the packed stadium, which included celebrity spectators Mick Jagger and England legend David Beckham. There was minor controversy around the equalizer: moments before Bellingham received the ball, a Norway goal kick appeared to glance off an overhead aerial camera cable before falling to England midfielder Elliot Anderson. Under FIFA rules, a ball striking the cable requires a stoppage of play and a drop ball restart, but tournament officials later confirmed that in-game sensors installed in the match ball confirmed no contact took place, allowing the goal to stand.

Norway came close to doubling their lead in the 56th minute, when Torbjørn Heggem put a rebound past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after a corner. However, a VAR review ruled the goal out due to a foul by Haaland in the penalty area. It was one of multiple missed chances for the Manchester City star, who entered the match as the tournament’s joint-top scorer. Haaland was denied a goal by a point-blank save from Pickford in the first half, and was held scoreless for the first time throughout the entire World Cup. Fatigue and a dead leg picked up in the second half forced Haaland off the bench in the second period of extra time, and the star striker sat slumped on the substitution bench, clearly dejected after the premature end to his match. Norwegian head coach Ståle Solbakken defended the choice to substitute his star, noting “He was finished. Maybe I should have taken him out 10 minutes before. … He did everything he could.”

With the match tied at 1-1 after 90 minutes, Bellingham struck again in the third minute of extra time, slotting home the go-ahead goal that would seal the win for England. When the final whistle blew, Bellingham locked arms with Kane as the thousands of England fans in attendance sang The Beatles’ iconic “Hey Jude” in tribute to the match-winner.

With the win, England, the 1966 World Cup champions who have carried relentless pressure to return to the tournament final this year, advance to the semifinal round where they will face Argentina. Bellingham now sits level with Kane on six tournament goals, just two goals behind shared leaders Kylian Mbappé of France and Lionel Messi of Argentina, and one behind Haaland. This is Bellingham’s second consecutive two-goal performance, after he netted twice to guide England past co-host Mexico in the round of 16.

In the aftermath of the win, the England camp saw a public disagreement between head coach Thomas Tuchel and Bellingham over the team’s performance. Tuchel opened his post-match interview with Fox Sports by acknowledging the quality of reaching the final four, but made clear his dissatisfaction: “We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic… but I’m not happy with the performance in every sense.” He later clarified in his official press conference that he was proud of the squad’s ability to battle through adversity, but stood by his critique, adding “I think we can play faster. I think we can play more clinical.”

Bellingham pushed back on the assessment, pointing to the grueling conditions that shaped the match. “Well, whatever,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s difficult out there. It’s a tough shift. My thoughts and appreciation goes to the players out there who put in a great shift.” He also highlighted the mental resilience that carried England through the test: “For me, the biggest one is psychological and how you can manage setbacks, how you can manage adversity. This team showed yet again that they can do it and that’s a really valuable skill and trait to have.”

For Norway, the defeat brings an end to a breakout World Cup run that captured global attention, marked by the team’s viral “Viking row” celebration and the magnetic charisma of Haaland. This is the first time the Nordic nation has ever reached the World Cup quarterfinals, marking a historic milestone for the program even as their run ends one step short of the final four.