Kyle Walker Warns England Against Man-Marking Lionel Messi Ahead of World Cup Semifinal

Kyle Walker, England's defender, cautioned his national team against assigning a personal marker to Lionel Messi ahead of their World Cup semifinal clash with Argentina. Speaking before the match scheduled for 22:00 on Sport1, Walker argued that such a tactic might only motivate Messi further. In a column for The Sun, he wrote, "If I knew how to stop Messi, I would probably be the greatest coach of all time." He noted that many have tried and failed to contain the Argentine star, who continues to prove his value to his team at this tournament.

Walker recalled a Champions League match between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain where his team managed to limit Messi for most of the game until Messi combined with Kylian Mbappe to score a decisive goal. "You work so hard to stop him, then he sends the ball to the top corner," Walker said, calling Messi possibly the greatest player ever.

He acknowledged Messi's minimal defensive contribution but explained that Argentina's strategy allows Messi to conserve energy for key moments. Walker mentioned discussing the idea of man-marking Messi with teammates at Burnley but concluded it would be ineffective, as Messi would likely see it as a personal challenge. "I would say: don't wake the bear," he advised.

Walker emphasized that England must not focus solely on Messi, highlighting other key Argentine players like Julián Álvarez and Nicolás Otamendi. He stressed that England should believe in their ability to intimidate Argentina as a whole. "This will be England's biggest test in the tournament so far," he concluded.

No official responses have been released yet regarding Walker's comments.