England faced more heartbreak following their disappointing exit from the World Cup.
Wrapped in anticipation, the Three Lions took a 1-0 lead with Anthony Gordon’s goal, hoping to make it to the final for the first time in six decades. However, disaster struck in the 85th minute of their semi-final against Argentina.
Enzo Hernandez equalized with a shot from outside the box, and then Lautaro Martínez capitalized on a precise cross from Lionel Messi, scoring in stoppage time to give Argentina the upper hand.
Criticism was directed at England’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, after he switched to a defensive formation, allowing Argentina to exert pressure in the closing moments.
In a cruel twist, England conceded two goals in quick succession, ending their tournament prematurely—no extra time, no penalty shootout. It was, undoubtably, a gut-wrenching defeat.
A curious afterthought emerged post-match. A clip showed Messi and his teammates examining water bottles left on the pitch by Jordan Pickford, England’s goalkeeper.
To their surprise, they found a list taped to the bottle detailing where each player was likely to place their penalties, a tactic some may consider underhanded for a goalkeeper.
Football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano posted an image indicating the cheat sheet included notes like, “Messi: Fake left, dive right,” and “Alvarez: Dive left.”
Messi appeared puzzled as he reviewed the notes with his teammates, who seemed to find humor in it. Despite missing several penalties this World Cup, he remains tied with Kylian Mbappé for the most goals in the tournament, with eight.
Sadly for England, the moment of shock meant Pickford didn’t even get a chance to consult his own strategy. The water bottle stayed at Atlanta Stadium, along with England’s dreams of World Cup glory.
Argentina is set to face Spain in the final on Sunday at 3 PM in New Jersey.
A victory for Messi’s squad would secure them a place in history as the third team ever to win consecutive World Cups, joining Germany and Italy, each with four titles to their name.
