Messi vs Bellingham in today’s World Cup semi-final

ATLANTA (AP):

It’s England vs Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals. It’s also Lionel Messi vs Jude Bellingham.

The battle of the two No. 10s could be pivotal to deciding today’s match in Atlanta.

“We know how good Messi is,” England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said of the Argentina great, whose enduring brilliance has been on show again even at the age of 39.

Messi and Bellingham have been inspirational in their teams’ respective runs to the final four. And today’s match may well be determined by which one has the biggest say on the day.

Messi is playing England for the first time in his storied career.

SETTLING THE GOAT DEBATE

Messi is already considered by many to the be greatest football player of all time and he seems to be on a mission to settle the debate about where he stands in the history of the sport.

Already the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 21 goals, he could surpass Argentina icon Diego Maradona by leading his country to back-to-back world titles.

His eight goals in the tournament so far have been pivotal to Argentina’s run and his moments of magic have dragged his team through big scares against Cape Verde and Egypt.

With Maradona as captain, Argentina won the World Cup in 1986 and were runners-up four years later.

DOUBTS ABOUT BELLINGHAM

England have a talisman of their own in the form of Bellingham, who is at the opposite end of his career to Messi.

At the age of 23, Bellingham is already playing in his second World Cup and his fourth major tournament for England. He has six goals, including two each in the last two rounds against Mexico and Norway.

Not bad for a player who was dropped by coach Thomas Tuchel in the lead-up to the World Cup, prompting debate about whether he’d even be in England’s starting XI.

For a long time Bellingham has not only been considered one of English football’s brightest talents, but one of the global game’s biggest names.

Yet his relationship with Tuchel cast doubt over his role in the England team, with Morgan Rogers threatening to take his place.

There is no doubt anymore about a player who Tuchel described as “world class” after his double against Norway in the quarterfinals.

Bellingham is different type of No. 10 to Messi, relying on his athleticism, power and speed when running beyond defenders. He is also technically gifted with his touch and range of passing, but arguably no one can rival Messi’s individual control of the ball, his dribbling ability or vision.

Bellingham’s maturity always stood out. He made his debut for second-division Birmingham at 16 and despite many of England’s top teams wanting to sign him, he resisted the likes of Manchester United and moved to Borussia Dortmund in Germany instead.

After starring for Dortmund, Bellingham joined Real Madrid and helped the Spanish giants to the Champions League and Spanish title in his first season in 2024.