Argentine player Lionel Messi, despite his relatively short height of 1.70 meters, is the top scorer in the World Cup. The 39-year-old Argentine footballer, who has achieved almost everything in his brilliant career, will face England for the first time in the semi-finals of this grand tournament on Wednesday.
Messi earned his 200th international cap playing for La Albiceleste in the group stage against Algeria. This small playmaker dreams of leading his country again on the world stage, as his outstanding international career draws to a close. His journey began in 2005 when he was a young player of 18 years old. After joining Barcelona's first team the previous year, Messi played for Argentina when they won the U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.
Later, José Beckerman gave him a chance to make his mark at the senior international level during a friendly match against Hungary in Budapest in August. He replaced Lisandro López in the 64th minute to play alongside Hernán Crespo. However, just 90 seconds after his debut, the teenager was sent off for a deliberate low tackle, which was an extremely embarrassing start to his iconic international career. Crespo noted at the time: 'An 18-year-old kid debuting for the national team with so many hopes—he shouldn't be punished like that. The referee should have been much more understanding.'
Messi recalls this infamous incident with a smile, as it led to his suspension from a high-profile friendly match against England in Geneva three months later. Since these two strong nations have avoided each other since then, Messi will play against the 'Three Lions' for the first time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Messi stated after Argentina's victory over Switzerland in Kansas City in the last group round: 'I have played against almost everyone except England, so this is a very special event because they are a major nation, a traditional power.' He added: 'It's always great to test yourself against such a team, especially in the World Cup semi-final.'
The man who inspired Argentina to the World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago now hopes to leave an equally indelible mark on England as his legendary predecessor, Diego Maradona. Any meeting between these two countries inevitably brings back vivid memories of the 1986 quarter-final at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where Maradona scored the famous 'Hand of God' goal and then bypassed half of the English defense for his second goal, considered one of the greatest World Cup goals of all time.
Although Messi has not scored a similar goal in North America, he enters the semi-finals with more World Cup goals than any other player in sports history. With 21 goals in a record 32 matches in the tournament, the Inter Miami talisman trails French captain Kylian Mbappé by only one goal after the quarter-finals. This experienced playmaker scored in nine consecutive World Cup matches before deciding to act as a creator in the tactical battle against Switzerland, allowing others, notably Julián Álvarez, to take on the main scoring responsibility.
Argentina is just one match away from reaching another World Cup final, aiming to become the first nation to successfully retain the trophy since Brazil's Pelé victory in 1962. This would be their third final in four World Cups, allowing Messi to follow in the legendary footsteps of Brazilian defender Cafu, who participated in three consecutive finals from 1994 to 2002. Even Maradona only appeared in two.
Messi warned: 'Reaching another semi-final is not an ordinary, everyday thing, so it is an achievement we must sincerely appreciate because we don't know if it will ever happen again.' The English team also wants to take advantage of this moment. Midfielder Nico O'Reilly, who is predicted to be a direct rival to Messi if he starts in midfield on Wednesday, told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He is nearing the end of his career, and for me personally, he is the greatest player who has ever stepped onto a football pitch. I absolutely cannot wait for this challenge.'
The publication The Athletic has published an updated ranking of the best footballers for the 2026 World Cup (WC-2026), which will take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
According to the updated table, Argentina captain Lionel Messi is in first place. In second place is French forward Kylian Mbappé, and rounding out the top three is English midfielder Jude Bellingham.
According to The Athletic's assessment, the list of the top ten players looks like this: first place is Lionel Messi from Argentina; second is Kylian Mbappé from France; third is Jude Bellingham from England. Following them are Harry Kane (England), Erling Haaland (Norway), Michael Olise (France), Ousmane Dembélé (France), Ashraf Hakimi (Morocco), Vinícius Júnior (Brazil), and Aymeric Laporte (Spain) completes the top ten.
