Lionel Messi has achieved almost everything possible during his remarkable career, yet Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against England in Atlanta will present something entirely unfamiliar. The Argentina captain has represented his country more than 200 times and scored 125 international goals, but he has never previously faced the Three Lions.

For a period during Argentina’s quarter-final against Switzerland, it appeared that opportunity might slip away as the Europeans threatened an upset. Instead, the defending champions found a way through, claiming a 3-1 extra-time victory to secure their place in the last four.

Although Messi did not score in that match, ending his scoring streak at the tournament, he still shares top spot in the Golden Boot standings with France’s Kylian Mbappe on eight goals. He also remains the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Former England defender Micah Richards believes Messi’s presence alone changes the dynamic of the contest. He said Argentina builds their game around the Inter Miami forward, whose movement into small pockets of space, exceptional technique, and awareness make him almost impossible to contain. Richards also compared Messi’s personality and presence to Jude Bellingham’s, adding that the Argentine possesses an aura unmatched by any other footballer.

England aware of the threat despite Argentina’s flaws

Chris Sutton believes England will welcome the challenge of facing the current Argentina side, suggesting this version of the South Americans is not among their greatest despite repeatedly finding ways to progress through difficult situations.

Wayne Rooney also pointed to Messi’s unique qualities, explaining that while the veteran contributes little when Argentina are defending, he remains capable of deciding matches through his judgement and quality at decisive moments. According to Rooney, concentration and constant communication between England’s defenders will be essential if they hope to limit his influence.

South American football specialist Tim Vickery described this semi-final as the fixture Argentina had hoped for. He noted that it would have been difficult to imagine Messi ending an international career spanning more than 200 appearances without finally playing against the nation many Argentina supporters regard as their greatest football rivals.

Vickery also recalled the atmosphere during Argentina’s quarter-final victory, when supporters repeatedly sang songs directed at England, suggesting those chants will become even louder before the semi-final showdown.

Rivalry renewed after more than two decades

Meetings between England and Argentina have regularly produced unforgettable moments, helping establish one of international football’s most intense rivalries. Encounters between the two countries have included Diego Maradona’s famous ‘Hand of God’ goal at the 1986 World Cup and David Beckham’s dismissal during the 1998 tournament.

Despite that history, Wednesday’s contest will be the nations’ first meeting for almost 21 years. Since Messi made his Argentina debut as an 18-year-old, England and Argentina have crossed paths only once.

That friendly in Geneva took place just a few months after Messi’s senior debut, but the young forward was unavailable because he was serving a suspension. He had been sent off only 30 seconds into his first international appearance against Hungary after reacting to a challenge from Vilmos Vanczak, with referee Markus Merk producing a straight red card.

Without Messi, Argentina twice moved ahead in Geneva before Michael Owen scored two late goals to give Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England a dramatic 3-2 victory.

The opponents Messi has enjoyed facing most

Messi has strengthened his legendary status with Argentina over the years, becoming both the country’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer before captaining his nation to World Cup glory in 2022.

His scoring record shows remarkable consistency against a wide range of opponents. Bolivia have conceded more goals to him than any other nation, with Messi finding the net 11 times in 12 meetings.

He has also scored seven goals against Venezuela and another seven against Ecuador, while Uruguay and Brazil have each been regular victims as well. European teams have struggled to contain him too, with three goals apiece against Croatia, Switzerland, and France. His three strikes against the French came in only three matches, including a memorable double in the 2022 World Cup final.

Among every country he has faced on more than one occasion, only Qatar has prevented Messi from scoring, despite meeting him twice.