We are hours away from the crucial encounter between Argentina and England for a place in the World Cup final.
In a rivalry that stretches back more than 40 years, this could be an even bigger spectacle than Spain vs. France.
Now, ahead of the highly anticipated semifinal, Lionel Scaloni confirmed during his pre-match press conference that Argentina's starting lineup will feature several changes compared to the teams that faced Switzerland and Egypt.
So, it is a good question whether or not Lionel Messi will start for Argentina against England.
Is Lionel Messi playing today against England?
The Inter Miami player has been the key figure behind the South American side’s success at this World Cup. In this tournament, Lionel Messi has eight goals, paired with Kylian Mbappe, who also has eight goals.
The interesting thing here is that if Messi scores a goal today against England, he would surpass the Frenchman.
So, if nothing reckless happens in the semifinal and the final, the former PSG player will finish as the tournament’s top scorer.
But that will lead to a conversation after this semifinal. The central question remains: will Lionel Messi be in the starting lineup today, especially with Lionel Scaloni set to introduce several changes?
The expected lineup for this matchup between Argentina and England is set to be: Dibu Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Medina, Gonzalez; Paredes, Fernandez, Mc Allister; Alvarez, Messi.
As many may notice, “Motorcito” De Paul is not included. After his poor performances at this World Cup, combined with being deployed in a position that does not suit him, Scaloni sees dropping De Paul as an alternative to switch to a back five.
However, Lionel Messi will start against England this afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Even though this is a soccer match, be prepared for a tense atmosphere both inside and outside the stadium.
For both countries, this is a bitter rivalry that goes far beyond the sport itself. On the field, however, we will see two teams with similar ideas and world-class players on both sides.
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