Lionel Messi’s message was brief, emotional and unmistakably defiant. Argentina had been forced beyond 90 minutes by Switzerland, struggled to exploit a numerical advantage and stood uncomfortably close to seeing their World Cup defence end in the quarter-finals. Yet, once again, the champions found a way through.
After a tense 3-1 extra-time victory, Messi celebrated Argentina’s return to the final four by praising the team’s refusal to stop believing and finishing his social-media message with an emphatic rallying cry: “Let’s go.” It was both an expression of relief and a warning to England, Argentina’s next opponent.
Thomas Tuchel’s side now stand between Messi and another World Cup final. For England, the challenge is not simply to defeat the defending champions. They must overcome a team that has repeatedly survived moments of danger and a captain who remains capable of changing a match even when he is not its goalscorer.
Argentina did not produce a perfect performance against Switzerland. They were frustrated, stretched and occasionally vulnerable. However, their survival may have strengthened them psychologically. Tournament champions are not always the teams that dominate every match. They are often the teams that remain calm when control disappears.
Argentina have shown that quality repeatedly.
Argentina Forced to Suffer Again
The quarter-final began according to Argentina’s preferred script. Messi’s early corner created the opening goal, with Alexis Mac Allister directing his header beyond the Swiss defence. The advantage appeared to place Argentina in control, particularly against opponents who had entered the match with a strong defensive record.
Switzerland, however, refused to accept a supporting role in Messi’s latest World Cup story.
Dan Ndoye equalised in the second half after Ricardo Rodríguez found space to create the opportunity. The goal transformed the atmosphere and exposed uncertainty within an Argentina side that had already endured difficult knockout matches earlier in the competition.
Switzerland’s momentum was interrupted by the dismissal of Breel Embolo. After a video review, the referee reversed a yellow card initially shown to Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes and instead booked Embolo for falling before contact. Because the Swiss forward had already received a caution, he was sent off. The unusual decision left Switzerland to complete the match with ten players and caused anger throughout their camp.
A numerical advantage should have allowed Argentina to take control.
Instead, Switzerland became more compact and increasingly difficult to break down. Argentina pressed, circulated possession and pushed their opponents towards their own penalty area, but the decisive goal refused to arrive in normal time.
Messi went close, while Mac Allister and Argentina’s other attackers searched for openings against a defence protecting the centre of the pitch. The Swiss survived the remaining minutes and forced the champions into extra time.
For England’s analysts, that period will offer encouragement. Argentina can be slowed. Their attacking rhythm can be interrupted, and their defence can be forced into uncomfortable transitions.
But England will also have seen what followed.
Álvarez Rescues the Champions
With eight minutes of extra time remaining, Julián Álvarez produced the moment Argentina desperately needed.
The forward collected possession outside the penalty area and struck from long range, sending a powerful effort into the top corner. Switzerland had defended courageously, but one outstanding finish destroyed more than 100 minutes of resistance.
Lautaro Martínez then completed the scoring during stoppage time at the end of extra time. With Switzerland committing players forward in search of an equaliser, Argentina attacked the open spaces and sealed a 3-1 victory.
The final score looked comfortable. The match was anything but.
Álvarez admitted afterwards that Argentina would have preferred to settle the contest earlier but stressed that the group remained united and focused on winning however necessary. His response captured the mentality that has defined Lionel Scaloni’s team throughout this era.
Argentina do not become emotionally unstable when matches turn against them. They may lose fluency or make mistakes, but they continue believing that a decisive moment will eventually arrive.
Sometimes Messi provides it. Against Switzerland, Álvarez did.
That distinction matters for England. Concentrating exclusively on Argentina’s captain would be a dangerous mistake. Scaloni’s squad contains several players capable of deciding knockout matches, and the attention Messi attracts often creates the space they require.
Messi’s Message Reveals Argentina’s Mindset
Messi did not attempt to present the quarter-final as a controlled victory.
He acknowledged that Argentina had been forced to suffer and described the contest as extremely demanding. His satisfaction came from the team’s ability to survive rather than from the quality of the overall performance.
On social media, the captain emphasised that Argentina had again reached the World Cup’s final four because the players never stopped believing. The words reflected relief, but they also reinforced the collective identity surrounding the defending champions.
This Argentina team appear comfortable with discomfort.
They do not require every match to develop according to plan. They have experienced setbacks, defensive pressure, extra time and controversial moments without losing their conviction.
That mentality is particularly valuable at the World Cup, where tactical control can disappear quickly. One mistake, deflection or refereeing decision can alter an entire campaign.
Argentina’s response is to remain emotionally invested until the final whistle.
England demonstrated similar resilience in their quarter-final against Norway, recovering from a goal down before Jude Bellingham scored twice in a 2-1 extra-time victory. Both semi-finalists therefore arrive after physically and mentally exhausting matches.
The difference is that Argentina have been living through these high-pressure moments as reigning champions. Their players know what it feels like to survive a semi-final, manage a World Cup final and lift the trophy.
Messi’s “Let’s go” was not simply a celebration. It was a reminder that the campaign remains unfinished.
A Historic First Meeting for Messi
Despite a senior international career spanning more than two decades, Messi has never previously faced England.
That will change in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, where Argentina will meet the Three Lions for a place in the final. The fixture will mark Messi’s third World Cup semi-final appearance and his first senior international encounter with one of Argentina’s most famous rivals.
The timing gives the occasion extraordinary significance.
Messi is 39 and attempting to lead Argentina to consecutive World Cup titles. No country has successfully defended the trophy since Brazil achieved the feat in 1962. Argentina are now two victories away from joining that exclusive part of football history.
England, meanwhile, are attempting to end their own long wait for global success.
The meeting brings together two football nations connected by some of the World Cup’s most memorable and controversial matches. The rivalry includes Diego Maradona’s two famous goals in 1986, Argentina’s penalty-shootout victory in 1998 and England’s group-stage success in 2002.
Messi was absent from all those chapters.
Now he has the opportunity to write one of his own.
Messi Remains Argentina’s Central Threat
Messi did not score against Switzerland, ending a nine-match World Cup scoring run. However, his corner created Mac Allister’s opening goal, ensuring he still influenced the result. He entered the semi-final stage with eight goals in the tournament, level with France forward Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race.
Those numbers underline the scale of England’s task.
Messi no longer plays with the constant intensity of his younger years. He selects his movements carefully, conserves energy and spends periods observing the positions around him.
That does not make him easier to defend.
His reduced movement can create uncertainty. Defenders become unsure whether to follow him, pass responsibility to a teammate or remain within their assigned zone. Messi uses that hesitation to appear in dangerous spaces.
England must therefore prepare for a player who can influence the match without dominating the ball.
One pass may release Álvarez behind the defence. One corner may create another goal. One dribble may draw two defenders and open space for Mac Allister or Enzo Fernández.
The danger is not only what Messi does after receiving possession. It is also how England reorganise themselves because of his presence.
England Cannot Mark Messi Alone
Assigning one player to follow Messi throughout the match would appear logical, but it could damage England’s defensive structure.
Messi regularly moves between midfield and attack. If a centre-back follows him too far, Álvarez can attack the space behind. If a midfielder tracks him towards the right, Argentina may create an overload in the centre. If England’s players repeatedly exchange marking responsibility, a communication failure could leave him unchallenged.
Tuchel will need a collective solution.
England’s midfield must remain compact enough to restrict passes into Messi’s feet. The defenders must step forward selectively rather than reacting to every movement. The full-backs will also need to monitor Argentina’s wider threats while protecting the central spaces Messi prefers.
The objective cannot realistically be to prevent him from touching the ball.
Instead, England should attempt to force him away from the most dangerous areas. Receiving near the halfway line is preferable to finding space outside the penalty area. Taking possession with his back to goal is less threatening than turning towards England’s defence.
England must also limit the passing options around him.
Messi becomes most dangerous when several Argentine players move in response to his first touch. If England close those routes quickly, they may reduce the impact of his creativity.
Switzerland Exposed Argentina’s Weaknesses
The quarter-final also provided England with a possible tactical blueprint.
Switzerland remained organised, competed physically and attacked directly whenever possession changed. They did not allow Argentina to control every phase and showed confidence when moving into advanced areas.
Ndoye’s equaliser demonstrated that Argentina’s defence can be opened by precise movement and quick passing. The champions have conceded multiple goals during other knockout matches at this tournament, suggesting that their structure is not invulnerable.
England possess the attacking quality to exploit those weaknesses.
Bellingham can carry the ball through midfield and arrive late inside the penalty area. Harry Kane can draw defenders away from their positions, while England’s wide players can attack the space behind Argentina’s full-backs.
The key will be speed.
If England move possession slowly, Argentina will recover their compact defensive shape and protect the centre. If Tuchel’s side play forward immediately after regaining the ball, they can force Scaloni’s defenders to run towards their own goal.
Switzerland showed that Argentina can be made uncomfortable.
They also showed the danger of failing to convert that pressure into victory.
Argentina’s Numerical Advantage Became a Warning
One of the most surprising aspects of the quarter-final was Argentina’s difficulty against ten players.
After Embolo’s dismissal, Switzerland defended deeper and reduced the available space near their penalty area. Argentina controlled possession but struggled to create clear chances.
England may consider using a similarly compact structure, even with eleven players.
However, defending deep for long periods would carry enormous risk. Messi’s passing, Argentina’s long-range shooting and their strength at set pieces would eventually create opportunities.
Tuchel must find a balance between protection and aggression.
England need enough players behind the ball to prevent Messi from combining centrally, but they must also maintain an attacking threat. If Kane becomes isolated and England’s wide players retreat too far, Argentina will sustain pressure without fearing the counterattack.
The presence of Bellingham could be decisive.
His ability to move from defence to attack gives England a route out of pressure. When Argentina commit numbers forward, Bellingham can carry the ball through the spaces they leave behind.
His duel with Argentina’s midfield may become one of the defining battles of the semi-final.
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