England's Strategy Against Messi: Attack to Win
Jamie Carragher believes England’s best chance of reaching the World Cup final is not just stopping Lionel Messi – it’s going after him.
The 39-year-old has lit up the tournament, dragging Argentina towards a second successive final with eight goals and two assists, a one-man storm swirling around every knockout tie. Thomas Tuchel’s England, still chasing a first World Cup final in 60 years, now stand in his way in Atlanta.
Carragher knows there is no magic formula for silencing Messi. No one has found one in two decades.
“It's nothing new with Messi. He's been around for 20 years and no one has found the answer,” he said. “There has to be a plan. I don't think it will be a man-marking job, but they need a plan. The players will be expecting that. It's not admitting defeat in any way. You're coming up against arguably the greatest player of all time. He's shown that in this tournament too.”
Then came the twist. For Carragher, England’s approach cannot just be about damage limitation.
‘Exploit Messi – he only defends with his eyes’
Messi’s genius with the ball is unquestioned. His work without it is where Carragher sees a crack.
“Also, they should be thinking about how they can exploit Lionel Messi as well. He walks about when the opposition have got the ball, so that doesn't mean England's left-back should stand next to him for the whole of the game,” he argued.
“They can exploit the fact that Argentina only defend with nine outfield players.”
In other words: when England have possession, they cannot waste a body shadowing Messi. If he strolls, they must sprint. If he stands, they must surge into the spaces he leaves behind. Tuchel’s structure, particularly down England’s left, could become as much a weapon as a shield.
Carragher expects Argentina to back themselves on the ball, and that suits him just fine.
Hoping for another Croatia-style shootout
The semi-final lands in Atlanta, but in Carragher’s mind the template sits in the opening game against Croatia – a night when England thrived on an opponent that fancied itself.
“I don't think there's too much between the teams. I'm hoping that this game has got elements of the Croatia game in it, where you're playing against a side who fancy themselves as a good team,” he said.
“I certainly don't think they'll be getting everybody behind the ball. They'll try to tackle us, and will that leave space for ourselves to attack? Their full-backs like to go high and wide, but they don't really play with wingers, so maybe that's something we can exploit.
“I'm hoping that it's a different type of game than what we've seen from the majority of England games throughout this competition. I still don't think England have been anywhere near the best in performance-wise.”
Carragher sees a contest with gaps, not a chess match. Argentina’s adventurous full-backs, without natural wide cover ahead of them, could be a gift to England’s wide forwards – if they are brave enough to attack those channels.
Tuchel’s blunt verdict defended
Tuchel’s own bravery has already been on show off the pitch. His post-match comments after the quarter-final win over Norway – critical of England’s quality in possession and laced with frustration at how close they came to throwing it away – stirred debate.
Jude Bellingham, asked about those remarks, pointed straight at the conditions in Miami, where temperatures pushed past 33C and the humidity made it feel closer to 40C. The midfielder suggested Tuchel didn’t truly know how brutal it was on the pitch.
Some saw that as a flashpoint. Carragher did not.
“I didn't think there was anything wrong at all with Tuchel's comments,” he insisted. “He's probably a little bit emotional after the game. England didn't play particularly well and could have easily lost that game against Norway.
“I totally understand Tuchel. We know what he was like at Chelsea. That's one of his plus points. He tells you straight. You've seen him against [Djed] Spence in this tournament.
“In a World Cup, a manager's got to be decisive. He's got to make big decisions, he's got to tell people straight. You can't wait. Things need to happen right away. I thought the interview from the manager was brilliant.”
Carragher extended the same understanding to Bellingham’s reaction.
“Jude, again, he's emotional after the game. He's just scored a couple of goals, and then he's realised how hard it was on the pitch, and the conditions as well. I could understand that, but Thomas Tuchel will be absolutely fine with that.”
In Carragher’s eyes, this is not a rift. It is the natural friction of a high-stakes World Cup campaign, where honesty and emotion collide in front of cameras minutes after the final whistle.
Saka over Madueke – no saving players for a final
On the pitch, Tuchel’s selection puzzle has narrowed. Declan Rice is fit. Reece James is back, having come off the bench against Norway. The real question sits on the right flank.
Noni Madueke has started four times this summer. Bukayo Saka, his Arsenal team-mate, has three starts and a lingering fitness issue. Carragher, though, is clear: if Saka can play, he must play.
“I think Madueke's had a lot of chances in this tournament,” he said. “It hasn't quite happened for him. Saka certainly hasn't been at his best, but as we know, he's not 100 per cent fit.
“I'm just hoping with each minute or longer he's on the pitch and other appearances, we start to see a little bit of what we know of Bukayo Saka.
“These are the games you take a chance in. If he's right, or you think you can get something from him, you've got to pick him. There's no worrying about what comes after that. I know it's a World Cup final after that, but this game is too important.”
That is the crux of England’s week. No one can plan for a final if they do not first survive Messi.
Tuchel must find a way to contain the greatest player on the pitch, unleash his own wide threats, and ride the emotional edge that has already defined this campaign. If England get it right, they will not just live with Messi in Atlanta.
They might finally step out of his shadow.
