Lionel Messi confronts challenge from England before first-ever international meeting at World Cup

Lionel Messi will face the English national men’s football team for the first time in his career during the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals.

Messi has faced European national teams in the World Cup over his career 19 times, picking up 13 wins and two draws to four losses in those matches (penalty shootout wins included).

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None of those matches came against the mighty England, but that will change in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final.

Lionel Messi gets real before his first-ever competitive match against England

After Messi’s Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 A.E.T. to advance to the World Cup semis, the 39-year-old was asked about facing England for the first time in his career.

“Yes, absolutely, matches against the big national teams are always special, and I’ve never played against England before, so it will be a unique game.”

“It’s a World Cup semi-final, and now we’ll rest and prepare for it. We’ve put in a huge effort after going through two extra times and then another match, and that shows sometimes.”

England return to the semi-finals for the first time since 2018, hoping to advance to the country’s first Final since their only triumph in 1966.

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Argentina hopes to become the third nation ever to retain the World Cup, and the first since Brazil in 1962.

This is the first matchup between England and Argentina since a 2005 friendly, and will be the fifth time in World Cup history the two teams have clashed, with the head-to-head record tied at 2-2.

Lionel Messi has an impeccable record against European teams at the World Cup

Winning 13 of 19 games against European teams, when Messi has faced plenty of criticism for playing in a ‘weaker’ continental confederation.

His four losses include two to Germany in 2010 and 2014, with Argentina’s 2006 World Cup loss not counting against Messi because he didn’t play in that game.

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The other two losses came in the same World Cup, with a 3-0 loss to Croatia in the Group Stage before a 4-0 Round of 16 loss to France.

He has multiple wins over the Netherlands and Switzerland, while having dusted off nations like Italy, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Iceland, among others.

Messi has eight goals and nine assists over this stretch and will hope to add more to his tally against England.

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