Head coach of the Three Lions, Thomas Tuchel, has said he is devising a plan to stop Lionel Messi ahead of their semi-final game at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 15, 2026.

He noted that the Argentine great thrives when there are spaces in the opponent’s defense, which he exploits with his dribbling skills to create and score goals.

The German coach indicated that with the Albiceleste team built around the former Barcelona attacker, England plans to play compactly and thwart not only Messi’s influence but also the entire squad’s attacking threat.

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“We will find a way to stop him [Messi]. He finds spaces, he finds moments, and I think the big thing is the whole team buys into that idea. They buy into the idea to support him, to help him, and they are just ready when he bursts into action to make the difference. We will prepare for that, of course.

"Can you prepare for that and find the recipe, and focus too much on him? No, but we need to be brave, we need to be brave around him, we need to stop the support and we need to take care of all the movements that happen when he’s on the ball. We have the grit, we have the mentality that it takes to go up against it. And we are ready for it,” he told The Telegraph.

The Three Lions are seeking their second World Cup title since their triumph in 1966, while Argentina is aiming to make history with back-to-back title wins after clinching the 2022 edition.

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