England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has declared that the Three Lions are fully prepared to overcome Lionel Messi and Argentina to secure their first World Cup final appearance since 1966.
The highly anticipated semi-final clash on Wednesday marks the first time Lionel Messi will face England in his career. While much of the pre-match attention has centered on how England will handle the 39-year-old eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, Pickford emphasized that Argentina possesses threats all over the pitch.
"Of course everyone will talk about Messi because he’s one of the GOATs of the game," Pickford said. "But you can’t look past the ability and the talent that we’ve got in the squad."
The Everton shot-stopper highlighted England's own strengths, noting their defensive solidity and attacking prowess. "Going forward, defensively, togetherness, we’ve got it all there and that’s what we need to put on show on Wednesday," he added. "But we also can’t just talk about Messi. They’re a good side and they’re reigning champions, so they’re a good side."
Pickford expressed immense confidence in the English squad's character, highlighting their resilience and mental strength. "We’ve got so much ability in our squad going forward and we’re hard to break down," he explained. "We’ve got that resilience, we’ve got that togetherness and we’ve got that mentality. That’s what makes a good team."
This semi-final clash represents the first competitive meeting between England and Argentina in more than 20 years, a fixture steeped in historical rivalry. Pickford is eager to embrace the pressure and the occasion.
"It’s the top four nations in the world playing against each other in the semi-finals and it’s going to be a great game, a great atmosphere and something we want to thrive on," the goalkeeper insisted. "I think anyone in front of us, we’re ready and want to beat."
Acknowledging the threat of the reigning world champions, Pickford concluded: "Same as Argentina, they want to come and beat us but it’s about us putting our best performance on to go and beat them. We know it’s going to be a tough challenge like every game is. Never take any game for granted, never take it lightly and it’s about us being on our A-game, ready for them."
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