Messi faces England with a World Cup final on the line

England face Argentina in World Cup semi-final

This is it. England vs Argentina on Wednesday at the World Cup, with Spain waiting in the final (1) (2) (3). Your team has scored 17 goals on the way here. Messi's first competitive meeting with England, a rivalry that goes far beyond football (6). The match in Atlanta carries the highest risk rating of the tournament, with a massive security operation in place (6).

Tuchel has an anti-Messi plan

Thomas Tuchel has considered man-marking Messi. "We have detected some patterns in their matches," the England manager said (4). He confirmed it is an option for Wednesday (1). The tactical battle is the whole story, stop Messi, stop Argentina.

The squad is built around him

Argentina's structure is designed to free Messi. Guillem Balague analysed how Scaloni built a team that gets the best out of the captain, mates, freedom, and a clear supporting cast (10). Alexis Mac Allister, Brighton's midfielder, is a key part of that structure.

Fan reactions

Fans are buzzing with the history. One Reddit thread captures the mood: "Argentina and England, united by football, separated by tragedy" link. Another fan calls it "the worst Argentina team in years" and says it's England's game to lose link.