Messi vs Bellingham is the individual battle everyone is watching heading into Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal in Atlanta. Argentina and England meet for the first time since 2005, and for the first time ever, Lionel Messi will share a pitch with the Three Lions, going head-to-head with a 23-year-old England star built in an entirely different mold.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford acknowledged the magnitude of finally facing Messi, saying it’s exciting to go up against a player who has scored and created so many goals throughout his career. The comparison to Bellingham is a study in contrasts. Messi relies on vision, close control, and dribbling ability that few in the sport’s history have matched, while Bellingham leans on athleticism, power, and the ability to arrive late into the box from midfield. Both have carried their teams all tournament, and Wednesday may come down to whichever one has the bigger say.
Statistically, Messi vs Bellingham is remarkably close heading into kickoff. Messi leads the tournament with eight goals and has extended his own World Cup scoring record to 21 career goals, while also picking up assists in each of his last two matches for a record 10 career World Cup assists. Bellingham has scored six goals for England, matching captain Harry Kane, marking the first time in men’s World Cup history that a team has had two players reach six or more goals in the same tournament. Bellingham has been especially destructive in the knockout rounds, scoring two goals in each of his last two matches, a feat no player had managed in consecutive World Cup knockout games since Diego Maradona in 1986.
Argentina’s game plan leans heavily on getting the ball to Messi in central areas, having shifted to a 4-4-2 diamond formation that packs six players around him for quick combinations. England will likely need fullbacks tucking inside at times to add numbers against that shape, while also assigning close attention to Messi individually. On the other side, Argentina’s midfield trio of Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, and Rodrigo De Paul carries the job of containing Bellingham’s late runs into the box, while center backs Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez must also account for Kane.
The winner advances to Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium to face Spain, which beat France 2-0 in Tuesday’s first semifinal. For Argentina, it’s a chance to defend the title Messi lifted in 2022. For England, it’s a shot at a first final appearance since winning the World Cup in 1966. Kickoff is Wednesday, July 15 at 3 p.m. ET at Atlanta Stadium. For full team news and live updates as kickoff approaches, Al Jazeera’s complete semifinal preview covers the historic first meeting in depth, while ESPN’s semifinal breakdown has predictions from its full panel of experts.
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