England has been buzzing ever since Argentina were confirmed as their opponents in the 2026 World Cup semi-final. Opinion has been pouring in from all corners, with former players and pundits weighing in with confidence. But former England midfielder Joe Cole appears to have gone further than most, making a bold and provocative prediction about Lionel Messi ahead of the match on Wednesday night.
Speaking on a Netflix Sports show alongside former England internationals Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, the group was discussing Messi’s lack of experience against England when Cole issued his challenge: “Well, we have got to put him to sleep. We will put him to sleep. Yeah, 100 percent sure.”
Those around him immediately tried to rein him in, saying, “Don’t say that yet — say it in eight months.” But the former Chelsea and Liverpool winger stood his ground, declaring, “I am saying it now. We can go to the World Cup final.”
Richards tempered the confidence slightly, reminding viewers that England will need to work considerably harder than usual to eliminate Argentina, whose players are “very clever and have a real fighting mentality.” Nevertheless, he too expressed belief in Thomas Tuchel’s side, saying, “We have far more pace than Argentina and we will beat them. I feel it in my bones.”
Cole’s blunt comments about Messi are somewhat surprising given his track record of lavishing praise on the Argentine. He has on numerous occasions placed Messi several steps above Cristiano Ronaldo. Before this World Cup, he said, “I think Ronaldo probably lies in bed at night thinking, ‘If only I could be as perfect as Messi.’ Messi is exceptional — the only player who has achieved everything. He is the one who sleeps soundly at night.”
Fellow pundit Gary Neville also made a pointed observation before the semi-final. While acknowledging that Messi is a difficult proposition, he suggested Argentina’s two central defenders could be their vulnerability. He said, “You have Cristián Romero and Lisandro Martínez, who seem to give away a goal in almost every match. But then the next moment they are heading everything, winning every challenge and covering every blade of grass. When they put on that jersey, they become a unit. It is remarkable.”
Neville added, “I call them the best and worst central defensive partnership in the world, because one moment they are absolutely brilliant, and the next they go from something uniquely impressive to something borderline ridiculous.”
