Messi vs England — first ever meeting
The England vs Argentina semi-final will be the first time Lionel Messi has ever played against England in his career.
Snapshot · The Rest Is Football
Bellingham saves England and sets up semi-final v Argentina and Messi
Explore episode
Jul 12, 2026
Where this was said
Messi's Record and the England Semi-Final Setup
At 24:14 · chapter starts 23:28
Gary Lineker reframes the semi-final with a string of staggering statistics. Messi, despite not scoring this tournament, has an assist for Argentina's first goal and now holds the all-time World Cup assists record at 10 — two clear of Maradona in second. The recipients read like a who's who of Argentinian football: Crespo, Tevez, Di María, Agüero, Enzo Fernández, Alvarez, and now Mac Allister. Then Lineker drops the most remarkable fact of all: despite both being active in international football for decades, this semi-final will be the first time Lionel Messi has ever played against England. [1] — Gary Lineker "Messi has 10 World Cup assists, two more than Maradona in second place. His corners and layoffs remain world-class. Remarkably, the upcomin…" 23:28 [2] — Gary Lineker "When England play Argentina, I checked this before, it will be the first time that Messi's ever played against England." 24:14
Messi's World Cup assists record
Lionel Messi has now assisted 10 goals in World Cups, two more than the next best — Diego Maradona.
Messi's Assist Record and the England Collision Course
Messi has 10 World Cup assists, two more than Maradona in second place. His corners and layoffs remain world-class. Remarkably, the upcoming semi-final will be the first time in his entire career that Messi has ever played against England.
England vs Argentina Semi-Final Preview
McCoist thinks England are the third-best team left but better than Argentina. Joe Cole argues England's pace on the transition is too much for Argentina's ageing legs. And Messi, while not prolific in this tournament, is one piece of brilliance away from ending it all.
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