According to Sky Sports, Argentina will face England in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, with Messi playing against England for the first time in his career. England lacks an orthodox defensive midfielder to mark Messi, or could deploy Spence to defend him one-on-one.

Reports indicate that England defeated Mexico, one of the hosts, with ten men at the Estadio Azteca, and then eliminated Haaland's Norway in the quarter-finals. Now, this team must face the defending FIFA World Cup champions and overcome the challenge posed by Messi-led Argentina.

This clash carries countless memories, both passionate and poignant. Sir Alf Ramsey famously called the Argentine players "animals" in 1966. Twenty years later, Diego Maradona completed both the "Hand of God" and the "Goal of the Century" within minutes.

The rivalry between England and Argentina is rooted in war and colonial history, with continuous confrontations on and off the field. There was Michael Owen's classic goal, David Beckham's impulsive moment of tripping Diego Simeone, and his redemption through a penalty four years later.

But Messi has never participated in this rivalry before. This is Messi's 206th game for Argentina, and his first against England. "I have never played against England," Messi said. "This is the first time, and this match is destined to be special."

Maradona's shadow always loomed.

Messi once thought that with the countless major trophies and broken football records over the years, he had completely emerged from Maradona's legendary aura and would no longer be constantly compared to the original football king of Argentina.

However, Infantino's FIFA World Cup knockout stage schedule deliberately arranged for Messi to face England, forcing him once again into the context of Maradona's classic moments. What is even more fateful is that in this match, the jerseys worn by Argentina and England will completely reproduce the color scheme of the jerseys worn by both sides 40 years ago when Maradona performed his miraculous battle, replicating that classic scene etched in FIFA World Cup history.

Messi has been playing football for decades, having almost collected every top honor at both club and national team levels. He once believed that he had achieved all the worthwhile pursuits in the football world and no longer had any iconic challenges to conquer.

But now, at 39 years old, he still carries the expectations of the entire Argentine national team, with everyone hoping he can replicate Maradona's feat and personally defeat England, an old rival with a deep-seated grudge against Argentina.

Today's matches have VAR monitoring every detail on the field, and strict refereeing standards make it almost impossible to re-enact the dramatic scene of scoring a goal with a handball. However, Egyptian fans who have played against Argentina and witnessed Messi's many unconventional scoring methods will not completely rule out the possibility of any unexpected events.

To replicate Maradona's world-shocking "Goal of the Century," where he dribbled from midfield, continuously evaded multiple defenders, and ran a long distance to score? Given Messi's current age of 39, his physical condition, and his running reserves, performing a similar solo effort would seem almost impossible to outsiders, like a fantasy.

But throughout this FIFA World Cup, Messi's performance in each match has continuously redefined public perception of his high-age state, consistently exceeding everyone's prior expectations. If we simply use goal-related statistics to measure his performance in this tournament, his report card is absolutely stunning.

In Argentina's opening match against Algeria in this tournament, Messi went all out with a brilliant hat-trick, setting the overall tone for outstanding performances from top stars in this tournament early on. Various football giants subsequently delivered impressive performances one after another.

After this opening victory, Messi scored in every subsequent match he played, maintaining consistent scoring efficiency, until the match where the team defeated Switzerland, when he failed to score. In Messi's consistently efficient scoring rhythm in this tournament, such a goalless single-match performance can be considered a brief scoring drought for him.

Continually scoring, constantly creating chances.

Messi has currently scored 8 goals, tying Kylian Mbappé for the top spot on the FIFA World Cup scoring chart, as the two continue their battle for the Golden Boot in Qatar. But beyond goals, Messi's organizational creativity is the core that has propelled Argentina this far.

He ranks first in both chances created and big chances created in this FIFA World Cup; he is tied for first with other players in chances created from set pieces; and he is far ahead of other opponents in through balls delivered. He has completed 16 shots from outside the box, 5 more than the second-place player.

How to limit such a player? Previously against Haaland, England's approach was to cut off the supply lines to him. But Messi can create a deadly threat even without the ball in dangerous areas, making this strategy completely ineffective. Messi can roam freely, picking any comfortable area on the field to operate.

Previously against Egypt and Switzerland, when the central area was too crowded, he would move to the right to find space. England lacks an orthodox defensive midfielder, so Messi can easily find large unmarked gaps on the field.

Will Spence bear key defensive responsibilities?

On paper, Nico O'Reilly is a more offensive option on the left. However, Tuchel must have noticed Djed Spence's performance after coming on as a substitute against Norway. This Tottenham Hotspur fullback is solid defensively and can also participate in attacking plays.

Spence once earned a penalty, but the VAR ultimately overturned the decision; he also made a very aggressive tackle and interception in the opponent's half. This player, who came on in the 86th minute, had as many touches in the opponent's penalty area as Harry Kane.

More critically, his one-on-one defensive ability is outstanding, with many calling him the strongest individual defender in the England squad. John Stones, who played the full 120 minutes, had the most clearances in the team, with Spence's clearances against Norway closely following.

Argentina will likely focus their attack on England's left flank, as Messi has frequently moved to the right in the first two matches to create space. A defender with right-footed passing ability and good at handling wing attackers will be a key player for England in this match.

Will Messi create another iconic moment?

Thomas Tuchel has been preparing his tactical deployment against Argentina since last Sunday, and he cannot focus solely on Messi. Against Switzerland, Julián Álvarez scored a brilliant goal; Lautaro Martínez assisted Enzo Fernández for the winning goal against Egypt. Other players in the Argentine team can also step up and make a difference.

But this Argentina team is still Messi's team, not Scaloni's. How much longer can Messi's stamina last? After the victory over Switzerland, he said: "We have fought all the way, playing many high-intensity matches consecutively, and the physical exertion is evident."

The 39-year-old Messi no longer controls the pace of the game for its entirety as he did in his youth, relying more on flashes of brilliance to change the course of the match. His influence in this semi-final is clearly visible both on and off the field. But if he can deliver a performance against England that will go down in history, Messi's legendary career will write a new chapter of highlights.

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