Argentina vs England: Thomas Tuchel Unveils England’s Plan to Stop Lionel Messi in FIFA World Cup Semi-Final
Lionel Messi has dragged Argentina to within a single win of another FIFA World Cup final, and Thomas Tuchel knows exactly where England’s biggest problem lies.
The 39-year-old has been directly involved in 10 of Argentina’s 17 goals at the 2026 World Cup eight scored, two assisted level with Kylian Mbappé at the top of the Golden Boot race.
He’s rescued this Argentina side more than once. The clearest example came in the Round of 16 against Egypt, when a goal and an assist from Messi pulled the team back from the brink of elimination.
The numbers don’t tell the whole story, either. Even with a lighter workload than in past tournaments, Messi still runs games his movement and vision keep creating space for the players around him.
England manager Thomas Tuchel isn’t pretending there’s an easy answer.
How Thomas Tuchel and England are planning on stopping Lionel Messi… ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/iaF3mSpYUe
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 15, 2026
“We are totally aware that we cannot stop him all the time and for 100 per cent,” Tuchel said.
“He’s a very different player from Erling Haaland, but we did very, very well in our way… so we will find a way now.”
For Tuchel, the challenge isn’t just Messi — it’s how Argentina’s entire team is built to serve him.
“He finds spaces, he finds moments and I think the big thing is the whole team buys into that idea,” Tuchel explained.
“They buy into the idea to support him, to help him, and they are just ready when he bursts into action to make the difference. We will prepare for that, of course.”
There’s even been talk within the camp of an old-fashioned fix — putting one man directly on Messi.
“I’ve given it a lot of thought. We are considering the old-school mark on Messi,” he said.
“I’m not sure if we’ll actually execute this idea, but the thought did cross my mind.”
Tuchel described Messi as having “superhuman abilities” and warned that blocking his usual routes won’t be enough. He’ll just find new ones.
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“Everyone knows the spaces where Messi wants to appear,” Tuchel said.
“But if we block those patterns, Argentina or Messi will find or create new ones.”
England’s task is straightforward on paper: stop Messi, reach the final. Fail, and Argentina’s greatest player could be one win from defending the trophy he lifted four years ago.