There are very few things that Lionel Messi has not done on a football field.
But the semi-final match between Argentina and England at 20:00 BST on Wednesday in Atlanta, live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, will provide the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner with a completely new experience.
Despite playing more than 200 games and scoring 125 goals for Argentina, Messi has never faced the Three Lions.
A moment was sought when the 39-year-old could be denied his first England cap as Switzerland kept the momentum going in Saturday’s quarter-finals, but Argentina eventually claimed a 3-1 extra-time victory.
Messi failed to score for the first time in this tournament in that victory, although he still leads the race for the Golden Boot alongside Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, having scored eight times, and is the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer.
“England can beat Argentina, but they have that little genius Messi. Everyone plays for him. Everyone should be excited,” said BBC pundit Micah Richards.
“Marking him is impossible because he doesn’t run back. He gets into small spaces where he really shouldn’t be. He lights up at the right moments.” [and] he has the best technique. His spatial awareness is fantastic. He has a great shot.
“The most important thing is that he has what Jude [Bellingham] He has and that’s what makes Jude so great, he has personality and aura.
“Messi has more aura than any footballer. Messi’s aura is just at the next level, so it’s going to be interesting.”
How much should England fear the Inter Miami striker?
“I think Thomas Tuchel and the England players will enjoy the prospect of playing this Argentine team in their current form, because this is not a great Argentine team but they have a habit of finding a way,” Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
On BBC Sport, former England striker Wayne Rooney said that while Messi makes little defensive contribution, he can finish games with quality at key moments.
“It can be a defensive weakness for Argentina,” Rooney said.
“He doesn’t go back, but he has great moments, a bit like Jude Bellingham. He has great moments and moments of quality. The thing with Messi is his decision-making: he comes alive in the moments of the game and makes the right decision.
“Marking Lionel Messi is a matter of concentration and communication. Communicate with your teammates to choose positions that you don’t normally dominate.”
The match against England is the semi-final that Argentina wanted, South American football expert Tim Vickery told 5 Live.
“Lionel Messi could not finish an international career, more than 200 games, without playing against the team that Argentine fans see as their biggest rival,” Vickery said.
“During the second half, the fans were jumping up and down chanting ‘he who doesn’t jump is an Englishman’. On Wednesday you’ll hear much, much more of that.”