Lionel Messi can’t be England’s only focus in World Cup semis, according to goalie

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England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is aware of the threat Lionel Messi brings on the field, but he is wary of the entire Argentinian attack.

The World Cup rivalry between Argentina and England will be put to the test after 24 years in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals.

It’ll also be Messi’s first-ever game against the English national team, but it doesn’t look like the England squad will fall into the trap of overpreparing for Messi.

Jordan Pickford makes sure England’s focus isn’t directed at Lionel Messi

In an interview before their semi-final clash against Argentina, England starting goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made it clear that their team needs to be focused on the entire 11-man Argentinian squad rather than their 39-year-old star.

“He’s scored so many goals and contributed to so many over his career; it’s great to finally come up against him after watching him so long. We all know how good Messi is, and we know how good Argentina is. We can’t just solely focus on Messi, we’ve got to focus on the others as well, and take advantage of the weaknesses they have.”

This is a fantastic approach by Pickford, as Argentina scored three goals in their A.E.T. quarter-final win over Switzerland, and Messi wasn’t the scorer behind any of the three.

He did create the opening goal in that clash, so his creativity isn’t something Pickford can control. But England’s entire defensive and midfield unit will be wary of the deadly offensive chances Lionel Scaloni’s system can create in the final half.

Messi has eight goals in the 2026 World Cup, tied for the Golden Boot with Kylian Mbappe at the moment. England’s Harry Kane isn’t far behind with six goals in the tournament.

Argentina have scored 16 goals this tournament, the most of any nation, with scorers like Lautaro Martinez, Alexis Mac Allister, Lisandro Martinez, and Julian Alvarez, among others, also registering goals.

England will have their work cut out for them, with Pickford as their final line of defense. They have conceded six goals in the tournament so far, with five coming in their last three knockout games.

It won’t be easy to contain Argentina, so this might just be a high-scoring affair where Pickford is brought into action a lot.