Before the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said that the team knows the quality of Lionel Messi, but their focus will not be just on Messi, but on the entire Argentina team. He said that England is ready for every challenge.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has said that his team is well aware of the quality of Lionel Messi, but ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final match, the team’s focus should go beyond just the Argentina captain.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the second semi-final against the defending champions, Pickford acknowledged Messi’s stellar career while emphasizing Argentina’s overall strength.
‘Can’t depend only on Messi’
“I think he (Messi) has scored a lot of goals and contributed a lot of goals in his career. And after watching him as a kid, it’s great to finally play against him,” Pickford said in a video shared by Sky Sports. He added, “We all know how good Messi is, but we also know what a good team Argentina is, so we can’t just rely on Messi. We have to look at his other strengths and weaknesses that we can exploit.”
England focused on their performance
The England goalkeeper said the Three Lions are focused on their performances as they look to make it to the World Cup finals.
“I think now it’s all about focusing on us, England, and we have to be at our best to beat another top nation. It’s a battle between us and them to make the final,” Pickford said in a video shared by Sky Sports.
ready for every challenge
Describing this knockout match as a match which could be decided in regulation time, extra time or penalties, he said that England was prepared for every possible scenario. Pickford added, “It’s a game of football, 90 minutes, 120, penalties, we’re ready for anything. At the end of the day it’s between us and them, and it’s about who comes out on top, and we’re absolutely ready for that.”
Argentina reached the semi-finals after winning another thrilling knockout match, where they defeated Switzerland 3-1 after extra time. Messi provided the assist for Alexis McAllister’s opening goal from a corner, before Julian Alvarez’s superb strike and Lautaro MartÃnez’s late goal sealed the victory. (ANI)
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