Carragher: England Must Exploit Messi to Reach World Cup Final
Jamie Carragher believes England’s route to the World Cup final runs straight through Lionel Messi – and not just by stopping him.
The 39-year-old has lit up this tournament, dragging Argentina to the brink of a second successive final with eight goals and two assists. Every touch has carried menace, every run a sense of inevitability. Thomas Tuchel’s England know exactly who stands between them and ending a 60-year wait to reach Sunday’s showpiece.
But Carragher’s message is clear: don’t just fear Messi. Use him.
Exploit Messi as much as you try to stop him
“It’s nothing new with Messi. He’s been around for 20 years and no one has found the answer,” Carragher said, laying out the challenge facing England.
“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.
“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.
“They can exploit the fact that Argentina only defend with nine outfield players.”
It’s a bold idea but a familiar picture. Messi conserving energy high up the pitch, waiting for the moment to spring, leaves a gap in Argentina’s defensive structure. Carragher wants England to be brave enough to run into that space rather than simply shadow him out of fear.
That puts real responsibility on Tuchel’s full-backs and midfield. Track Messi when danger looms, yes, but also recognise when his lack of defensive work can tilt the pitch in England’s favour.
Echoes of Croatia – and space to attack
Carragher also believes the semi-final in Atlanta could suit England’s attacking instincts, just as the opening game against Croatia did.
“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.”
That is the tension around this England side: results without rhythm. They are in the last four, but they have rarely convinced. Argentina’s ambition on the ball might finally drag the game into the kind of open contest that exposes both Messi’s genius and his team’s vulnerabilities.
Tuchel’s honesty under the spotlight
Tuchel’s own words have been under scrutiny since the quarter-final win over Norway. The German did not sugar-coat what he saw. He questioned England’s quality in possession and admitted they almost threw the game away.
Those comments were put to Jude Bellingham immediately afterwards, and the midfielder fired back, pointing to the brutal conditions in Miami, where temperatures climbed above 33C and the humidity pushed the feel closer to 40C.
Talk of a rift flickered briefly. Carragher is having none of it.
“I didn’t think there was anything wrong at all with Tuchel’s comments,” he said. “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.
“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.”
Tuchel’s bluntness is part of his armoury. Carragher sees it as a strength, not a fracture line, as England head into their biggest test of the tournament.
Saka over Madueke – no room for saving legs
With Declan Rice fit again and Reece James back in action off the bench against Norway, Tuchel’s selection puzzle has narrowed to one key call: who starts on the right flank?
Noni Madueke has been trusted from the start four times this summer. Bukayo Saka, his Arsenal team-mate, has begun three. Saka’s fitness has been a constant concern, his sharpness flickering rather than sustained, but Carragher would not hesitate.
“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 reality of a World Cup semi-final. No holding back. No saving players for a stage you might never reach.
England now stand one match away from the final, with Messi looming on the horizon and Tuchel’s bold, sometimes abrasive approach under the microscope. The question is not just whether they can contain Argentina’s No 10 – it’s whether they dare to turn his shadow into their opportunity.
