Lionel Messi Can "Kill You While He's Walking": England Coach Thomas Tuchel Before FIFA WC
Thomas Tuchel knows the humongous task at hand. The England manager insisted his side will focus on the present rather than the rich history surrounding clashes with Argentina as the Three Lions prepare for a blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final
Thomas Tuchel knows the humongous task at hand. The England manager insisted his side will focus on the present rather than the rich history surrounding clashes with Argentina as the Three Lions prepare for a blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time), reported Reuters. The winners of the heavyweight contest at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium will face Spain in Sunday's World Cup final after La Roja defeated France 2-0 in the first semi-final. (Argentina vs England: FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Updates)
"He can explode at any minute. He's a silent killer. He can also kill you while he's walking. That's just what it is. You can never fall asleep. You can never underestimate the burst of energy. You can never underestimate the willingness of the group to sacrifice for him and to leave him and his creativity and his full energy for the other 40%. So he's showing it at the highest level," Tuchel told ITV Football.
"We have to find a way to stop it and to overcome it. We are not here to congratulate him. We're not here to build him a throne. We're here to take the game away from him," he concluded.
While England and Argentina have produced some of the most memorable matches in World Cup history, Tuchel said his squad has deliberately avoided dwelling on the past.
"I would say it's irrelevant, but I'm not sure about it," Tuchel told reporters on the eve of the semi-final, as per Reuters.
"I think the players are very aware of both countries and what it means to them. If a fixture provides so many iconic moments, I think you cannot just say it's another football match," he added.
The rivalry includes Diego Maradona's famous "Hand of God" goal during Argentina's 1986 quarter-final victory and England's penalty shootout defeat in the 1998 Round of 16, but Tuchel believes the occasion itself provides enough motivation.
"But as a coach, we do exactly that: focus on what we can influence. We don't actually speak about the historic events. We don't speak about the iconic moments. It is iconic enough in itself, and the attention is big enough," Tuchel said.
England have reached their fourth major tournament semi-final since 2018 after coming from behind to beat Norway 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals. The Three Lions are now aiming to reach their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy on home soil in 1966.
Tuchel admitted the magnitude of the occasion naturally increases the pressure but said his focus has been on keeping preparations simple.
"The bigger the stage gets, the bigger the tension grows," he said. "So hopefully, we can simplify the messages enough that they can execute them."
Despite England's long wait for another World Cup final, Tuchel dismissed suggestions that history has become a burden for his players.
"I don't feel a burden," he said, as per Reuters. "I will feel the nerves and the tension tomorrow. That just comes naturally in these matches."
Instead, the German highlighted the hunger within his squad.
"What I really like in the last few days is that the players are very competitive, they are very excited, and they are hungry to play this match," he said.
"The two shirts (England and Argentina) are just iconic. The historic matches are iconic. There are iconic moments, but everyone recognises these shirts. Straight away, everyone recognises the players," Tuchel added.
He further added, "It is an absolute beauty in the magnitude of a match, in the magnitude of an occasion."
Tuchel also brushed aside talk of becoming the first foreign coach to guide England to a World Cup title.
"It just doesn't work like this for me," he said. "I don't have these kinds of goals and don't set these goals. I just love what I do, and I'm grateful for the opportunity."
The England boss added that representing the country on football's biggest stage carries a responsibility beyond results.
"I think that's essentially what the World Cup is for - to excite the country, to excite fans and to transmit energy, make people forget their worries, make people's lives better for 90 or 120 minutes, and be united and represented by a team," he said.
"There's so much to love about this England squad, and I'm very glad that people feel it," he added.
Although Argentina captain Lionel Messi has dominated the build-up, Tuchel stressed England will remain true to their own identity.
"We know why we're here. We know what we want," he said. "We are in the semi-finals. We arrived very hungry in the semi-finals. We want to get the next win."
"We respect our opponent, but we don't dip into historic events, and we don't make it bigger than it is. It's a big football match, a big occasion," the England head coach added.
Tuchel also acknowledged the challenge posed by Messi, who has been one of the tournament's standout performers.
"Once Leo Messi has the ball, the movement starts, and just the technical execution of the delivery and the supply to Messi is at the absolutely highest level," he said.
"So there's a lot to take care of, but we are here to impose our style, to impose our strengths," he concluded.
Argentina enter the semi-final with six wins from six matches and a 12-game winning streak at the World Cup, while England will hope to end that run and book a place in Sunday's final against Spain.
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