A Rivalry 21 Years In The Making: Why Messi Has Never Played England Until Now
A Rivalry 21 Years In The Making: Why Messi Has Never Played England Until Now Published By, Last Updated: July 15, 2026, 21:19 IST Lionel
A Rivalry 21 Years In The Making: Why Messi Has Never Played England Until Now Published By, Last Updated: July 15, 2026, 21:19 IST Lionel Messi has faced 80-plus nations in a 21-year international career—but never England. That finally changes in the World Cup semi-final, thanks to a twist dating back to 2005. Rapid Read Lionel Messi in training ahead of ARG's FIFA WC semifinal vs ENG (AP) Lionel Messi has conquered almost every challenge football has thrown at him over the past two decades. But remarkably, there is one opponent he has never faced. That changes on Wednesday night when Argentina take on England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final, with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner set to make his long-awaited first appearance against the Three Lions. For a player with 205 international caps across a 21-year career, the statistic is extraordinary. Messi has represented Argentina against more than 80 different nations — from traditional heavyweights to the likes of Mauritania, Estonia and Angola — yet England have somehow remained absent from the list.
Why And How Is That The Case? The reason dates back to November 12, 2005. England and Argentina last met in a friendly in Geneva, where Michael Owen scored twice in the closing minutes to complete a stunning 3-2 comeback after Hernán Crespo and Walter Samuel had twice put Argentina ahead. Messi was supposed to make his debut against England that night. Instead, the then-18-year-old was serving a one-match suspension after being sent off just 47 seconds into his senior Argentina debut against Hungary three months earlier. Messi had barely stepped onto the pitch before receiving a red card for catching Vilmos Vanczák with an elbow while trying to break free. That suspension ruled him out of what remains the last meeting between the two nations. Now, 21 years later, fate has finally delivered the showdown. Messi’s Delayed Date With Destiny The timing could hardly be bigger. Defending champions Argentina are chasing back-to-back World Cup titles, while Thomas Tuchel’s England are aiming to end six decades of hurt by lifting the trophy for the first time since 1966.
Messi enters the semi-final in sensational form. The 39-year-old has scored eight goals at the 2026 World Cup and is the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 21 career World Cup goals, one ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé. He also became the first player in World Cup history to score in seven consecutive matches after finding the net against Jordan, before extending that streak to nine games against Egypt — a streak that finally ended in the quarter-final against Switzerland. Now, with a place in the final at stake, Messi finally gets to tick off the one international opponent missing from his extraordinary résumé. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered Could England finally win the World Cup this year? I cannot make predictions about future sporting events. According to news reports, England will face Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal on Wednesday. How will this match impact Messi's legacy? This match could significantly impact Lionel Messi's legacy by potentially moving Argentina closer to retaining the World Cup they won in 2022.
The BriefWire