After a storied 19-year international career spanning 200 appearances for Argentina, 39-year-old Lionel Messi will finally check one unfulfilled box off his legendary resume Wednesday: squaring off against England for the first time, with a place in the World Cup final hanging in the balance.
Messi’s journey with the Albiceleste began far more dramatically than anyone could have predicted back in August 2005. Fresh off leading Argentina to an Under-20 World Cup title in the Netherlands and breaking into FC Barcelona’s senior squad just months prior, the 18-year-old wunderkind was handed his senior international debut by manager Jose Pekerman in a friendly against Hungary in Budapest. Coming on as a 64th-minute substitute to partner strike legend Hernan Crespo up front, Messi was shown a red card just 90 seconds later for an elbow offense, marking one of the most humbling debuts in modern international football.
Crespo, Messi’s strike partner that day, later criticized the officiating for the harsh treatment of the young debutant, saying: “An 18-year-old kid who is making his debut for the national team and has so much hope — he can’t be punished like that. The referee needed to be more understanding.” That red card triggered a three-month suspension that forced Messi to miss a subsequent friendly against England in Geneva, a coincidence that set up the years-long wait for this first meeting.
That long-awaited clash will finally kick off under the roof of Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with a spot in the World Cup final at stake. Speaking after Argentina’s quarter-final victory over Switzerland in Kansas City, Messi acknowledged the historic weight of the moment: “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.”
This match carries extra historic resonance for Argentina, recalling the iconic 1986 World Cup quarter-final between the two sides where Diego Maradona cemented his legacy with the infamous “Hand of God” goal followed by what many still call the greatest World Cup goal of all time – a solo run that sliced through half of England’s defense. Now, four years after Messi emulated Maradona by lifting the World Cup trophy in Qatar, he will look to channel that legendary magic against England once again.
Entering this semi-final, Messi already holds the all-time record for most World Cup appearances at 32, and leads the tournament’s 2026 golden boot race with 21 total World Cup goals, one ahead of France captain Kylian Mbappe. He notched goals in nine consecutive World Cup matches before the quarter-final against Switzerland, where he stepped back into a playmaking role to let forward Julian Alvarez lead the attacking charge.
For Argentina, a win on Wednesday would book their spot in a third World Cup final in four tournaments, and make them the first nation to retain the World Cup title since Brazil in 1962. Should Messi reach the final, he will match an achievement only Brazil great Cafu has pulled off in modern history – appearing in three consecutive World Cup finals, a mark even Maradona never hit, having only played in two.
Messi emphasized the rarity of the moment, saying: “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.”
For the England side, the opportunity to face the player widely regarded as the greatest to ever step onto a football pitch is already being framed as a career-defining moment. Defender Nico O’Reilly, who is expected to start at left-back and mark Messi if he retains his place in the starting eleven, called the clash a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in comments to 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.”