Messi Watch: England, at last

This is a preview, not a match report. Argentina face England in the World Cup semi-final at Atlanta Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 03:00 on Thursday, July 16, in Asia/Shanghai. The winner advances to the July 19 final against France or Spain. 1

Lionel Messi has played more than 200 times for Argentina and scored 125 international goals, but he has never faced England in a senior international. Argentina and England last met in a 2005 friendly, before Messi had established himself in the national team. 2

Messi called the matchup "special" because England are a "powerhouse" and because it is the one major national team he has not yet played. That makes Wednesday's semifinal more than another heavyweight tie: it closes one of the few remaining gaps in his international career. 3

Messi enters the semifinal tied with Kylian Mbappe on eight goals in the Golden Boot race. He did not score in Argentina's 3-1 extra-time quarter-final win over Switzerland, but he created the opener with a corner and reached 10 World Cup assists, a tournament record, according to Inter Miami's official recap. The match was also his record-extending 32nd World Cup appearance. 4 2

FIFA lists a possible Argentina XI with Messi alongside Julian Alvarez, while England's projected attack includes Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon. Those are projections, not confirmed lineups, so the first hard team-news checkpoint is the official release before kickoff. 1

American referee Ismail Elfath has been appointed. BBC notes that he was the fourth official for Argentina's 2022 World Cup final win over France and refereed Messi's 2023 Leagues Cup final win with Inter Miami. That is useful context, but not a prediction: Argentina still have to solve England's pressure and Bellingham-Kane threat over 90 minutes, and perhaps 120. 5

The immediate question is simple: can Messi turn his first England meeting into another defining World Cup night, or will England's semifinal run reach a final for the first time since 1966?