Messi set for long-awaited first England clash in World Cup semi-final
The match will mark the first meeting between Messi and England despite the Argentina captain spending more than two decades in international football and facing every other World Cup-winning nation, including Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, Spain and France
Lionel Messi is set to face England for the first time in his career when Argentina meet the European side in a World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday.
The match will mark the first meeting between Messi and England despite the Argentina captain spending more than two decades in international football and facing every other World Cup-winning nation, including Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
Argentina's Football Association (AFA) described the fixture on its website as "the match fate owed Messi."
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The closest Messi came to facing England was during the teams' last meeting in a friendly in Geneva in November 2005.
Argentina lost that match 3-2 after Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, who scored twice, overturned goals from Hernan Crespo and Walter Samuel. Messi was unavailable after being sent off on his international debut against Hungary earlier that year.
"It's special because they're a great team, a powerhouse, and it's always nice to play a team like that, a match of this kind," Messi told reporters after Argentina's 3-1 extra-time quarter-final victory over Switzerland on Saturday.
"We need to rest because we come from a lot of wear and tear, which the group obviously feels, and arrive in the best possible condition to keep doing what we've been doing: competing," he added.
Argentina reached the semi-finals after a third consecutive knockout-stage match that went beyond 90 minutes. They defeated Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in the round of 32 before coming from two goals down with 11 minutes remaining to beat Egypt 3-2 in the last 16.
Messi set up Alexis Mac Allister's opening goal against Switzerland but did not score, marking his first World Cup appearance without a goal since Argentina's 2-0 group-stage win over Poland at Qatar 2022.
"England can outrun Argentina but they just have that little genius Messi. They all play for him. Everyone should be excited," BBC pundit Micah Richards said. "Marking him is impossible because he doesn't run back."
The semi-final will also renew one of international football's most storied rivalries, with Argentina and England meeting on the World Cup stage for the first time since 2002.
