In Atlanta on Tuesday, England manager Thomas Tuchel disclosed that he is weighing an old-fashioned man-marking strategy to contain Argentina captain Lionel Messi in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final. “I was thinking about this, if we do a proper old-school man-mark on Messi,” Tuchel told reporters. “I’m not sure if we follow through with this idea, but it crossed my mind.” The German, speaking at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, described a player whose anticipation and spatial intelligence routinely outpace any defensive scheme. “Everyone knows the spaces where he wants to show up. You analyse the matches, you feel he just sees stuff earlier than anyone else on the field.”

Messi arrives at the last-four meeting as the tournament’s joint top scorer with eight goals, a tally matched only by France’s Kylian Mbappé, and has added two assists. Tuchel acknowledged that even when opponents identify patterns in Argentina’s build-up, the 39-year-old finds new solutions. “If we close the patterns, he will find a new one or create a new one. It is his super strength.” The semi-final marks the first time Messi has faced England in his career, a detail noted with some surprise in Buenos Aires given the long history between the sides.

The fixture carries a weight of history, most famously the 1986 quarter-final in which Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal helped eliminate England, and the 1998 last-16 meeting decided by penalties after David Beckham’s red card. Tuchel, however, refused to use that rivalry as motivation. “We don’t use it as fuel,” he said. “We respect our opponent but we don’t dip into historic events and don’t make it bigger than it is.” England’s path to the semi-final has been taxing: a comeback win over DR Congo, a 3-2 victory at Mexico’s Azteca Stadium, and an extra-time defeat of Norway in Miami’s heat. Tuchel described the run as “nerve-wracking” and “draining” but said the challenge “makes me feel alive.”

England will be without the injured Jordan Henderson and the suspended Jarell Quansah, though midfielder Declan Rice has recovered from illness and trained on the eve of the match. The winner in Atlanta will face Spain in Sunday’s final, after the Spanish side beat France 2-0 in the other semi-final.