Former England right-back Kyle Walker has shared his insights with head coach Thomas Tuchel on how to stop Lionel Messi when the Three Lions face Argentina on Wednesday.
The Three Lions are set to face the reigning world champions, Argentina, in the semi-final at the Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday.
Messi has had an extraordinary tournament, and even at the age of 39, he continues to be Argentina’s most formidable asset.
The Inter Miami star has netted eight goals and provided two assists across six matches, placing him at the top of the scoring charts.
Kyle Walker, who earned 96 caps for England before retiring from international football in 2025, expressed admiration for Messi.
He pointed out that the former Barcelona and PSG star does not track back sufficiently, which could be a tactical advantage for England.
In his column for The Sun, he stated, “It’s difficult to pinpoint any weaknesses in Messi’s game. Perhaps the fact that he doesn’t engage in much defensive tracking could be one.
“However, he is supported by a strong team that enables him to focus on his strengths. The players around him understand his capabilities and work hard to facilitate his play.
“He conserves his energy for when he is in possession, which is a key factor in Argentina’s well-deserved victory in the 2022 World Cup. I am confident he will be highly motivated against England in the semi-final, aiming to defend the trophy.
“I was discussing with my teammates at Burnley whether we should employ a man-marking strategy against him. If we do, does that imply we are overly concerned about him, potentially neglecting the space behind him when he doesn’t recover as quickly as he ought to?
“I am open to man-marking, but I doubt its effectiveness for us, and he might view it as a personal challenge to prove that he cannot be contained in that manner. My advice would be to avoid provoking him.”