England defender Nico O’Reilly is looking forward to what he describes as a unique opportunity to compete against Lionel Messi during Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina. England reached the final four following a difficult 2-1 victory over Norway, while Argentina advanced by defeating Switzerland 3-1.
This match marks the first time 39-year-old Messi will play against England, potentially representing his final encounter against the nation. O’Reilly, who plays for Manchester City, expressed his excitement to BBC Radio 5 Live about the prospect of potentially marking the Argentine star. He referred to Messi as the greatest player in history and is eager to face the test.
Messi has been in exceptional form during the tournament, currently holding a record 21 career World Cup goals and leading the Golden Boot standings with eight goals in this competition alone. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford acknowledged Messi’s legendary status but emphasized that Argentina possesses a well-rounded squad. Pickford noted that while they must respect Messi’s capabilities, the team remains focused on exploiting the overall weaknesses of the Argentine side.
The victor of this semi-final contest will advance to the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where they will face the winner of the France versus Spain match.
