The FIFA World Cup semi-final will finally see Lionel Messi face England for the first time in international football. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has been in sensational form, scoring eight goals and driving Argentina‘s title defence with a series of match-winning performances. At 39, Messi has once again emerged as the heartbeat of the defending champions, delivering whenever his team has needed him most. However, England are expected to provide Argentina with their toughest challenge of the tournament. Lionel Scaloni’s side has already come through a string of nerve-racking knockout matches, edging past Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland after being pushed to their limits. Yet Argentina have repeatedly found a way because of Messi’s brilliance, with the veteran forward rescuing his side on more than one occasion. As they prepare for another high-stakes encounter, Argentina will once again look to their talisman to guide them into a second consecutive World Cup final.
Nico O’Reilly admits the chance to take on Messi in the World Cup semi-final is one he has dreamed of, describing the Argentina captain as the greatest player ever to grace the pitch. The England youngster said he is relishing the opportunity to test himself against the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner in what could be one of the defining moments of his career.
“I can’t wait,” he admitted. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 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,” O’Reilly told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Messi is also in the race for the Golden Boot and is currently level with Kylian Mbappe at the top of the scoring charts with eight goals each.
“Can’t solely rely on stopping Messi”
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has hailed Messi as one of football’s all-time greats ahead of the big-ticket clash, admitting he grew up watching the Argentina captain. While acknowledging the threat posed by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Pickford stressed that England’s focus cannot be limited to stopping Messi alone, insisting Argentina possess plenty of quality across the pitch.
“He has scored so many goals and contributed to so many over his career. It’s great to finally come up against him after so long, and watching him as a kid,” Pickford told reporters.
“We all know how good Messi is but we also know how good Argentina are. We can’t solely rely on [stopping] Messi. We’ve got to focus on their other strengths and the weaknesses we can take advantage of,” he added.
