Former England captain, John Terry, has urged the Three Lions not to concentrate only on Lionel Messi as they prepare for a blockbuster 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final against Argentina, warning that the South Americans possess several experienced match-winners capable of making the difference.
England and Argentina will meet in Wednesday’s second World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, with a place in the final at stake in one of international football’s fiercest rivalries.
Messi will once again be at the heart of Argentina’s hopes of reaching another World Cup final.
The Inter Miami captain has registered double-digit goal contributions at each of the last two World Cups and is currently joint-top scorer at the tournament alongside France’s Kylian Mbappe.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, Terry acknowledged the challenge of containing the Argentine captain but stressed that England must not become overly fixated on him.
“It’s very difficult to stop him when he really want to, he can produce a little bit of magic at any moment.
“And also, if you give him time and space anywhere on the pitch he’ll be able to do it so full focus because he’s constantly drifting into areas that make it difficult for defenders.
“We’ve been all-out attack in pretty much all our games, teams have sat back against us. He stays pretty much up at the far end of the pitch, he’s going to be difficult to mark.
“We can’t only focus on Messi. Without being a great side, I think they’ve got really good individuals that have got loads and loads of experience.”
The Chelsea legend also backed England’s squad quality, insisting the Three Lions have the stronger team on paper.
“I think man for man we are way better than this Argentina side.”
Despite missing two penalties during the tournament, Messi remains Argentina’s biggest attacking threat, leaving England manager Thomas Tuchel with the difficult task of finding a way to limit the influence of one of football’s greatest players.
