# England Considers Special Tactics to Counter Messi

- Topic: football
- Source: ESPN
- Published: 2026-07-15
- Original: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49363093/thomas-tuchel-england-lionel-messi-argentina-fifa-world-cup-2026
- Language: en
- Image: https://a2.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0714%2Fr1689358_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg

England coach Thomas Tuchel has hinted at using a man-marking strategy to contain Lionel Messi in their World Cup semifinal match against Argentina. Messi is the tournament's top scorer with eight goals. England has been preparing for the match, analyzing Argentina's patterns and looking for ways to stop Messi's creative play.

## Key takeaways

- England's Thomas Tuchel considers man-marking Lionel Messi in the World Cup semifinals.
- Messi is the tournament's top scorer with eight goals, alongside Kylian Mbappé.
- England has been analyzing Argentina's patterns and strategies to prepare for the match.

> Summary by Daily Read Bytes. Read the original at https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49363093/thomas-tuchel-england-lionel-messi-argentina-fifa-world-cup-2026