Messi's impact extends far beyond his individual brilliance, highlighting the way the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner dictates Argentina's play.
Georgia (US): England head coach Thomas Tuchel has described Lionel Messi as Argentina's "leader and key player" ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal, praising the veteran forward's ability to inspire and elevate the defending champions.
Speaking before the highly anticipated last-four clash, Tuchel said Messi's impact extends far beyond his individual brilliance, highlighting the way the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner dictates Argentina's play.
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"It is just incredible how he (Messi) carries that team. There are no words. Who am I to talk about that? No words left for this kind of achievement," Tuchel said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
"He is just the leader and the key player in any team he plays. You can see the cohesion, and they are experienced in tournament football. They have a good coach and have been together for a long time. They love to play in the middle of the pitch with the short passes, always looking for gaps. When Messi has the ball, the movement starts," he added.
While acknowledging the challenge of containing the Argentina captain, Tuchel insisted England would stick to its own identity rather than alter its approach.
"The technical execution of the supply of Messi is on the absolute highest level. There is a lot to take care of. We are here to play our way and impose our style. We are here to play the semi-final our way. We know how big the ask is but we are ready for it," he said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
The England boss also reflected on his side's quarterfinal win over Norway, admitting his players were below their usual standards in possession despite progressing.
"We had too many technical errors in our last match that held us back from finding a rhythm. We were rushed in our decision-making, not patient enough or disciplined enough and it cost us our rhythm," he said.
Tuchel, however, believes England's defensive displays have improved throughout the tournament and expects his players to raise their level against Argentina.
"We improved in the tournament in defending and defending as a team. This is something we need at the highest level tomorrow. The acceleration, combined with technical execution, has to be at a higher level. A setup like tomorrow will bring the best out of us and the best out of our players," Tuchel said.
The German coach also played down the significance of England's previous meetings with Argentina, saying his squad is focused solely on the task at hand.
"We don't use it as fuel. We know we are here, we were never shy of expecting that from us and dreaming it. We are in the semi-finals and we arrive very hungry. We want to have the next win," Tuchel said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
"We respect our opponent, but we don't dip into historic events and make it bigger than it is. It is a big football match, but we are very excited and ready to go," he added.
England take on defending champions Argentina in the second FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal, with the winner advancing to the final against Spain, who defeated France 2-0 in the first semifinal.
Published: 15 Jul 2026, 07:10 am IST
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