Rooney Says Messi’s Reluctance to Track Back Is Argentina’s Risk

Wayne Rooney says Lionel Messi could be a defensive weakness for Argentina heading into Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal against England. The former England captain flagged Messi’s reluctance to track back as the opening Thomas Tuchel’s side needs to find at Atlanta Stadium, in a match that will be Messi’s first-ever appearance against the Three Lions.

Rooney isn’t describing a flaw so much as a trade-off. The same restraint that keeps a 39-year-old fresh for one decisive touch late in a match is exactly what Rooney says defenses can use against him, and Argentina’s own results over the last three rounds suggest he has a point.

Rooney Calls Messi Argentina’s Defensive Blind Spot

Rooney made the comment to the BBC ahead of Wednesday’s game, comparing Messi’s selective work rate to that of England’s own Jude Bellingham, the Real Madrid midfielder who has carried Tuchel’s side through the knockout rounds.

He can be a weakness defensively for Argentina. He doesn’t run back, but he has big moments a bit like with Jude Bellingham. He has big moments and moments of quality.

Wayne Rooney, England’s all-time record goalscorer, has spent this tournament working as a television pundit, and his read on Messi centers on positioning rather than effort. Messi has intentionally limited his defensive range this summer, banking energy for the moments Argentina needs him most rather than chasing back with the rest of the midfield.

Switzerland Already Found the Space Behind Him

Argentina’s own results are already making Rooney’s point. Switzerland leveled Saturday’s quarterfinal in the 67th minute through Dan Ndoye, finding room in behind a back line that had Messi conserving his energy up front. Only a second-half red card to Breel Embolo, upgraded from a yellow for simulation after a VAR review, cleared the way for Lionel Scaloni’s side to escape with a decisive long-range strike from Julian Alvarez in extra time.

The result also snapped one of the tournament’s signature streaks. Messi had gone into the game having scored in nine straight World Cup appearances, a run dating back to 2022, before his nine-game World Cup scoring streak ended against the Swiss, where he contributed only an early assist.

Argentina has needed something dramatic to escape every knockout match it has played this month:

• Round of 32 against Cape Verde: twice fell behind before winning 3-2 in extra time against the World Cup debutants.
• Round of 16 against Egypt: trailed 2-0 with barely ten minutes left before Enzo Fernandez’s 93rd-minute strike completed a 3-2 comeback.
• Quarterfinal against Switzerland: conceded an equalizer before two late goals turned a nervy night into a 3-1 extra-time win.

Each match followed the same shape: chances conceded at the back, Messi’s contributions mostly saved for the other box.

Romero and Otamendi Inherit the Covering Job

The cost of Messi’s positioning lands on Argentina’s back four and the midfield shield in front of it. Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez and Nahuel Molina have absorbed that load through three knockout rounds, with Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez usually the first midfielders sprinting back to cover the ground Messi leaves open.

England has needed its own late drama to reach this point. Tuchel’s side has won only two of its six matches by more than a single goal this tournament. Fox Sports credited the run to mental toughness and desperation, qualities past England squads at this stage have lacked.

How Does England Plan to Contain Messi?

England’s plan starts with defenders talking to each other rather than assigning one marker to shadow Messi alone. Rooney says stopping him is less about physical pressure and more about communication, since Messi drifts into pockets defenders don’t normally track, produces a decisive touch, then disappears from the picture again before the next phase of play.

“The thing with Messi is his decision-making, he comes to life in moments of the game and he makes the right decision,” Rooney said. “Marking Lionel Messi is about concentration and communication. Communicating with your team-mates about picking up positions you might not usually pick up.”

Chris Sutton, working the same BBC Radio 5 Live coverage, argued Tuchel’s players shouldn’t be intimidated by Argentina’s reputation. “I think Thomas Tuchel and the England players will be relishing the prospect of playing this Argentina team in its current guise, its current form, because this isn’t a great Argentina team but they do have a habit of finding a way,” Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Bellingham is also the direct comparison Rooney drew, and the numbers back up his growing reputation for the exact quality Rooney praised in Messi. The 23-year-old is the first player to score twice or more in consecutive World Cup knockout matches at the same tournament since Diego Maradona managed it in 1986.

A Rivalry That Has Waited Since 2002

Maradona’s name is inescapable whenever these two countries meet. His two goals in the 1986 quarterfinal, the Hand of God handball and a mazy solo run still replayed constantly by Argentine fans, remain the defining moment of the fixture’s history.

1. 1986: Diego Maradona scores twice, including the Hand of God, as Argentina beats England 2-1 in the quarterfinals.
2. 1998: David Beckham is sent off during the second half; Argentina advances on penalties in the round of 16.
3. 2002: Beckham converts the winning penalty as England beats Argentina in the group stage, the nations’ last World Cup meeting before this one.
4. 2026: Messi faces England for the first time in his international career, in a semifinal at Atlanta Stadium.

South American football expert Tim Vickery framed the wait in personal terms. “Lionel Messi couldn’t possibly end an international career, over 200 matches, without playing the team that Argentina fans see as their biggest rival,” Vickery said. Demand for Wednesday reflects that history. The Athletic reported that cheapest tickets in Atlanta going for $3,000 days before kickoff.

Mbappe Ties Messi Atop the Golden Boot Race

Messi’s eight goals this tournament are tied with Kylian Mbappe, France’s captain, for the tournament lead, and Messi’s involvement has shaped nearly every step of Argentina’s run to the last four.

Both Messi and Mbappe have already passed Miroslav Klose’s old career record of 16, and the mark left to chase belongs to France’s Just Fontaine’s single-tournament record of 13 goals, set in 1958. Mbappe holds the tiebreaker for now, since his three assists this tournament are one more than Messi’s two, and FIFA hands the Golden Boot to the assist leader if the goal count is still level at the final whistle. Sportsbooks tracked by Fox Sports still install Mbappe as the favorite at plus-110 odds, with Messi close behind.

Atlanta Awaits a Place in the Final

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET Wednesday at Atlanta Stadium, with the winner advancing to face the winner of France and Spain in Sunday’s final in New Jersey. Argentina is chasing a second straight title, a feat only Brazil and Italy have managed. England is chasing its first final appearance since 1966.

Oddsmakers list England as the marginal favorite. SI.com’s betting breakdown gave Tuchel’s side an implied 57.45 percent chance to advance, with the total leaning toward a low-scoring night despite the attacking talent on both teams.

Whatever the scoreline, Wednesday will be the first time in Messi’s international career that he takes the field against England.