Lionel Messi has given England rare praise before Argentina's World Cup semi-final. He called England a powerhouse and said the tie will be special for another reason too, because it will be the first time he has played them.

Messi's view on England

Speaking to givemesport.com, Messi said: "Obviously, playing against England is special because they are a powerhouse, and matches against powerhouses are always special. Personally, it's the first time I'm going to play against them. I've played against everyone except England, so it will be nice for that reason too."

He followed that with a clear message about the level Argentina will need to reach: "We'll experience it for what it is: a World Cup semifinal against a powerhouse, a great team, and we'll try to arrive in the best possible shape to compete again."

That is a straightforward enough read of the tie. Messi is not dressing it up as anything other than a semi-final against a strong opponent, and he is also making the personal angle plain. For a player who has faced almost everyone, never meeting England before gives the game a slightly different edge.

Messi's output for Argentina

The tournament picture around Messi has been just as sharp. He has 8 goals and 2 assists in 6 World Cup appearances, and he has scored or assisted 10 of Argentina's 17 goals at this World Cup.

That does not settle every debate around how to frame his tournament tally, because one source line puts him directly involved in 10 of 17 goals, while the verified scoring figure is 8 goals. The broader point is not in doubt. Argentina's attack has run through him, and even at this stage he remains the player who shapes the way they play.

For [Lionel Scaloni](plain text only) and Argentina, the England match now carries two clean storylines, the first competitive and the second personal. Messi has already made the key point himself: England are the heavyweight, and this is the first time he will face them.

The semi-final now has that extra layer of novelty on Messi's side, with the game itself still to be played and the first meeting with England finally coming on the World Cup stage.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →