Why Has Lionel Messi Never Played Against England In His 21-Year Career?
Argentina football superstar Lionel Messi made his senior team debut back in 2005, but he has never played against England in an international fixture.
- Lionel Messi made his senior team debut back in 2005, but he has never played against England
- England and Argentina last faced each other back in 2005 - a game that Messi missed due to suspension
- Their last World Cup meeting taking place in 2002 when England emerged victorious 1-0
Argentina football superstar Lionel Messi made his senior team debut back in 2005, but he has never played against England. It will be the first time Messi will take on England when Argentina take the field during the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal on Thursday. It feels unbelievable that despite playing international football for 21 years, It is a bit surprising that Messi has not faced a global powerhouse like England, but this is mainly due to the rarity of the encounter. England and Argentina last faced each other back in 2005, with their last World Cup meeting taking place in 2002 when England emerged victorious 1-0.
Messi made his international debut against Hungary in August 2005, but things did not go according to plan. The debut lasted for less than a minute as he was sent off for a foul on Vilmos Vanczak.
The red card meant that he would miss the next match, which was the friendly clash against England on November 12, 2005, which Argentina went on to lose 2-3. The two teams have not faced each other since that match.
Meanwhile, England head coach Thomas Tuchel hailed Lionel Messi as the driving force behind Argentina ahead of their FIFA World Cup semifinal, saying the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner remains the leader and key player for the defending champions, according to Sky Sports.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the last-four clash, Tuchel said Messi's influence on Argentina goes beyond his individual brilliance.
"It is just incredible how he (Messi) carries that team. There are no words. Who am I to talk about that? No words left for this kind of achievement," Tuchel said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
"He is just the leader and the key player in any team he plays. You can see the cohesion, and they are experienced in tournament football. They have a good coach and have been together for a long time. They love to play in the middle of the pitch with the short passes, always looking for gaps. When Messi has the ball, the movement starts," he added.
Tuchel said England would need to be at their best to contain Argentina's captain but insisted his side would remain true to its own style of play.
"The technical execution of the supply of Messi is on the absolute highest level. There is a lot to take care of. We are here to play our way and impose our style. We are here to play the semi-final our way. We know how big the ask is but we are ready for it," he said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
(With agency inputs)
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