Thomas Tuchel: England are considering man-marking plan for Lionel Messi

JAKARTA - England coach Thomas Tuchel said he had considered man-marking Lionel Messi in the 2026 World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Thursday, July 16, 2026, early morning WIB.

Messi is the 2026 World Cup top scorer with Kylian Mbappe with eight goals and will face England for the first time in his career at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

"I'm thinking about this, doing old-fashioned man-marking (to Messi). I'm not sure if we'll continue with this idea, but it crossed my mind."

"I think everyone knows the spaces where he wants to appear. You analyze the game, you feel he sees things earlier than anyone else on the pitch," Tuchel said in a pre-match press conference.

Messi's eight goals, accompanied by two assists, make him the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 21 goals.

"The ball fell right in front of him, he found the gap, created space for his left foot, and then executed the solution very well."

"I think we found some patterns in their game. If we close those patterns, he will find new patterns or create new patterns."

"That is his superpower, that is what it is. It is an interesting situation, very unique to play against the defending champions, very unique to play against Leo Messi and his team."

"It's unique to play for England against Argentina. It's a big game in every aspect," the German coach said.

Tuchel said all players were ready to play against Argentina, except Jordan Henderson who had just recovered from a broken arm and Jarell Quansah who was suspended.

The coach is also trying to fire up his troops for a fierce rivalry between England and Argentina on and off the pitch.

"We don't use it as fuel. We know why we're here. We know what we want. We're never ashamed to expect it from ourselves, to say it, to dream it."

"We are in the semifinals. We came here hungry, we want to win the next one. We respect our opponent, but we don't discuss historical events and don't make it bigger than it should be."

"This is a big football match, a big opportunity. We are very excited, grateful, hungry, and ready to play," said Tuchel.

Tuchel further reflected on England's dramatic journey to the semi-finals, which featured a late comeback win against the Democratic Republic of Congo before beating Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca Stadium and fighting hard past Norway after extra time in the heat of Miami.

"You have to deal with relentless knockout football which is quite stressful, especially if you follow our way with red cards, trailing, VAR checks and extra time."

"We had to go through some experiences like riding a roller coaster that was very tiring. It was quite exhausting. We played at high altitudes, we played in the heat, we had to travel in between."

"I think it's both. I can say that it gives me energy, it makes me feel alive. I love it so much that it gives me energy every day."

"If you analyse the next opponent, instead of maybe having a day off to recover, you start analysing again because most of the time for us, there are only three days between games," he said.

Meanwhile, Tuchel revealed that at the 2026 World Cup, he really didn't have time to relax. Even so, he tried to take advantage of the little break to just enjoy the day in a simple way.

"I try to exercise in the morning and sometimes you just need to go cycling, you just need a big parking lot, and an ice cream in your hand for 15 minutes. You feel like a 15-year-old, not a 50-year-old."

"You enjoy your evening on a warm summer night for 15 minutes. You reconnect with the beauty of feelings that we all have inside of us. Sometimes that's all it takes," said Tuchel.

The winner of the England vs Argentina duel will face Spain in the final on Monday, July 20, 2026, early morning WIB, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.