Joe Cole has backed England to 'put Lionel Messi to bed' when they face Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday. The former England international made the bold claim on The Rest is Football podcast, insisting the Three Lions have 'too much pace' for the defending champions.
England's path to the semi-final
Thomas Tuchel's side reached their fourth World Cup semi-final after a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Norway in the quarter-finals. Jude Bellingham scored both goals in a cagey match, but England were far from their best against a spirited Norwegian side. The win sets up a clash with Argentina, who overcame Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in their quarter-final.
Argentina's quarter-final struggle
Argentina, the 2022 World Cup holders, needed extra time to beat a ten-man Switzerland side. Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring early, but Dan Ndoye equalised for Switzerland. The Swiss were reduced to ten men when Breel Embolo was sent off, yet they held Argentina to 1-1 after 90 minutes. Goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez in extra time finally sealed the win for Lionel Scaloni's team. Lionel Messi failed to score for the first time in the tournament but remains joint top scorer with France's Kylian Mbappe.
Cole's confident prediction
Speaking on The Rest is Football, Cole said: 'We will have to put Lionel Messi to bed. We're going to put him to bed.' When co-host Micah Richards objected, Cole doubled down: 'We are, 100 per cent. I'm saying it now, England are going to the World Cup final, we've got too much pace for Argentina and we're going to beat them, I feel it in my bones.'
McCoist's contrasting view
Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist offered a more cautious assessment, calling England the 'third-best team left in the tournament' behind France and Spain. 'At this moment in time, England are the third-best team left in the tournament,' McCoist said. 'But the good news is you're playing a team that I think you're better than. I think England are better than Argentina. Defensively, Argentina aren't great but going forward, we know Messi is capable of doing something out of nowhere and that's the thing you have to guard against.'
Other semi-final and tournament context
England's semi-final against Argentina takes place at the Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday. The other semi-final pits European champions Spain against 2022 World Cup finalists France, who have been the standout team of the tournament. France beat African champions Spain in the quarter-finals, while Spain edged out Belgium.
