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Despite a glittering international career spanning over two decades, Lionel Messi — widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time — has never faced England on the pitch until now.

England’s upcoming semi-final clash with Argentina will mark a historic first for Messi. On Wednesday in Atlanta, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will finally come up against the Three Lions in what promises to be one of the most anticipated encounters of the 2026 World Cup.

Messi’s 21-year international career, which includes 205 caps and matches against nations such as Mauritania, Estonia, and Angola (twice), has somehow never brought him face-to-face with England.

Thomas Tuchel’s England side required extra time to edge past Norway 2-1 in the quarter-final, courtesy of a brace from Jude Bellingham. Following the match, Bellingham delivered a blunt response to his manager’s criticism of the team’s overall display.

That hard-fought win took England to their second World Cup semi-final in the last three tournaments — a remarkable achievement considering they had only reached one semi-final (in 1990) between their 1966 triumph and the 2018 edition.

Argentina, meanwhile, advanced to the last four after overcoming Switzerland 3-1 in extra time. Goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister ensured the defending champions remained on course for a record-equalling fourth World Cup title.

At 39 years old, Messi has been in sublime form during the 2026 tournament. With eight goals to his name, he leads the World Cup scoring charts with an overall record of 21 goals across all editions — one more than France’s Kylian Mbappe, who also has eight goals in the current campaign.

Earlier in the competition, Messi became the first player in World Cup history to score in seven consecutive matches after finding the net against Jordan in the group stage. He later extended that streak to nine games following his goal against Egypt before failing to score in the quarter-final against Switzerland.

The semi-final therefore represents not just Messi’s first-ever meeting with England but also another opportunity to add to his extraordinary tally on football’s biggest stage.

The last time England and Argentina met was on 12 November 2005 in an international friendly — a thrilling 3-2 win for the Three Lions, sealed by two late goals from Michael Owen. Messi was absent from that fixture, having been sent off on his Argentina debut against Hungary three months earlier. Thus, the upcoming clash will finally see him take on England for the first time in his long and storied career.

This semi-final will also mark Messi’s 33rd appearance at a World Cup, as Argentina aim to become only the second nation in football history to successfully defend the trophy after Uruguay achieved the feat in 1930 and 1934.

England and Argentina share a rich and often dramatic World Cup history. Their meetings in 1998 and 2002 remain etched in memory — David Beckham was famously sent off for retaliating against Diego Simeone in the 1998 Round of 16, before redeeming himself four years later by scoring the decisive penalty in a 1-0 group-stage win.

However, perhaps the most iconic clash between the two nations came in the 1986 quarter-final, when the late Diego Maradona produced both his legendary solo goal and the infamous ‘Hand of God’ strike in Argentina’s 2-1 victory.

England and Argentina will meet once again in the semi-final on Wednesday, 15 June, at 8 pm BST at the Atlanta Stadium — a contest steeped in history and now set to welcome a new chapter with Lionel Messi’s long-awaited first appearance against the Three Lions.