Why England have never faced Messi
Lionel Messi's record against English clubs is nothing short of intimidating. One match from 2010 is perhaps the most memorable of them all.
That night at Camp Nou, Messi produced a magical performance, almost single-handedly destroying Arsenal's season. Barcelona won 4–1 in the UEFA Champions League, with the Argentine scoring all four goals.
A stunned Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger compared Messi to a PlayStation character after the match, saying, he can take advantage of every mistake you make.
Over the past 15 years, Messi has scored 27 goals in 35 matches against English clubs. Yet, remarkably, he is only now set to face the England national team for the first time at a World Cup.
There are several reasons why the two sides have never previously met. Messi missed the last England–Argentina friendly, played in Geneva in 2005, because he was suspended. Just three months earlier, he had been sent off only 47 seconds into his international debut.
Having come on as a substitute against Hungary, the teenage Messi tried to beat defender Vilmos Vanczak with one of his trademark dribbles. While attempting to break free, he caught the defender with an elbow. The referee deemed it a foul and showed him a red card.
As a result, Messi missed the friendly in Geneva, which England won 3–2.
Argentina versus England has always been one of the World Cup's most compelling rivalries. The famous meeting in 1986 is the best remembered, but the two sides also met at the 1966, 1998 and 2002 World Cups.
However, since David Beckham's penalty secured England a 1–0 win in their Group F match at the 2002 tournament, the two footballing powers have not faced each other again.
Football Association (FA) officials told British newspaper The Times this week that several factors explain the long gap. One of the main reasons has been changes to the international calendar and the introduction of the UEFA Nations League.
Argentina also generally prefer to play teams from their own continent and, for friendlies, tend to prioritise more commercially lucrative regions such as the Middle East and North America.
According to The Times, senior FA officials acknowledged that while the huge cost of arranging a match against Messi's Argentina would not necessarily be an obstacle, it would certainly be substantial, especially since Argentina won the 2022 World Cup.
Various reports suggest the Argentine Football Association (AFA) is now one of the world's most commercially profitable football federations.
Argentina earn more than USD 80 million (around Tk 9.89 billion) annually from sponsorship deals alone. They also charge between USD 3 million and USD 4 million for each friendly.
Although these agreements do not specify a separate appearance fee for Messi, his presence in the squad allows Argentina to command significantly higher fees from opponents.
The scale of those fees became clearer in March this year through court documents filed in Miami. Messi and the AFA were sued for allegedly breaching a contract related to one of seven exhibition matches against Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
The lawsuit claimed Messi was contractually required to play at least 30 minutes, but he did not feature against Venezuela because Inter Miami had an important match the following day.
The case remains ongoing. The AFA insist they did nothing wrong, stating, “We fully complied with all contractual obligations, including fielding the national team in both friendlies held last October.”
The Times also reported that fresh revelations about Argentine football emerged this week that could make other football associations think twice before doing business with the AFA.
US media reported that the FBI has opened an investigation into the AFA over allegations of possible fraud and money laundering.
Citing two law enforcement officials involved in investigations in Washington and Miami, the Miami Herald said the probe centres on bank transactions involving millions of dollars linked to the United States.
According to the Miami Herald, the story was first reported by Argentine newspaper La Nación, which alleged that the AFA had laundered more than USD 300 million through banks and businesses in South Florida and elsewhere.
The FBI is reportedly examining the AFA's relationship with a Florida-based company that manages the federation's overseas commercial agreements.
An AFA spokesperson said, “The opening of an investigation does not mean any crime has been committed or that anyone has been found guilty.”
However, this is a recent development. It does not explain why Messi and England have gone so many years without facing each other.
Argentina will take on England in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta next Wednesday (Bangladesh time Thursday).
It is widely expected that ticket prices on FIFA's official resale platform will soar, flights from the United Kingdom will sell out rapidly, and England supporters already in the United States will extend their stay.
Messi is now 39. Although his peak years are behind him, he has again impressed at this World Cup, scoring eight goals and providing two assists.
Even so, Argentina have looked vulnerable in several areas despite reaching the semi-finals. England will therefore take to the pitch believing they have what it takes to eliminate the reigning world champions.