Lionel Messi's record against Premier League clubs as Argentina star looks to shatter England's World Cup dream
Published 13/07/2026 at 17:00 GMT+1
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Ahead of England’s 2026 World Cup semi-final against reigning champions Argentina on Wednesday evening, one name that is sure to be on the mind of head coach Thomas Tuchel, and his squad, is Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi of Argentina looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final match against Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium on July 11, 2026.
Image credit: Getty Images
At 39, Messi remains a formidable force and has led Argentina to the last four with eight goals and two assists, stats that also have him in the running for the Golden Boot.
Nullifying the Argentinian maestro is easier said than done. Many teams, both at international and club level, have tried and failed to contain the footballing force of nature.
Among his remarkable list of career achievements, Messi has 10 La Liga crowns and seven Copa del Rey wins on his roll of honour with Barcelona. He also won four UEFA Champions League titles with the Catalan giants.
A move to Paris Saint-Germain yielded two Ligue 1 triumphs, while he has also lapped up plenty of individual awards, most notably winning the Ballon d’Or a record eight times.
But his crowning achievement came four years ago. For all the club success, Messi's detractors always pointed to his record on the international stage.
A first trophy with Argentina arrived at the Copa America in 2021 before he starred during a momentous World Cup win in Qatar in 2022.
It added the final touch to a career like no other.
He could have walked away at that point, having achieved just about all there is to achieve, yet he continued. More silverware followed at the 2024 Copa America, and now he is back to try and help Argentina create more history by defending their World Cup title.
After easing through their group, Argentina had to dig deep during the knockout phase. They needed extra time to beat surprise package Cabo Verde in the round of 32 before a World Cup comeback for the ages saw them avoid a shock upset against Egypt in the last 16.
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That set up a quarter-final against Switzerland, where they were once again taken to extra time before prevailing.
Next up for Messi and Argentina is a mouth-watering semi-final against England in Atlanta.
Messi has never played an international match against England, so it will be a rare first for the veteran superstar.
He has, however, had plenty of experience taking on English teams during his legendary career.
And as you would expect, his record is outstanding.
Messi v English clubs
Messi has played the most games against Chelsea during his career, but he has the best record against Arsenal, scoring nine times in just six encounters.
The table below breaks down his output against England's traditional 'big six'.
| Opponent | Games played | Goals | Assists |
| Chelsea | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| Manchester City | 8 | 7 | 2 |
| Arsenal | 6 | 9 | 1 |
| Manchester United | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Liverpool | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Tottenham | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Between 2005 and 2019, there was only one season in which Messi did not come up against an English team - 2012/13.
The below table notes a season-by-season breakdown of Messi's matches against English-based opposition.
Stats courtesy of Opta
| Season | Games played | Goals | Assists |
| 2005/06 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006/07 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007/08 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008/09 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009/10 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2010/11 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 2011/12 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013/14 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014/15 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015/16 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016/17 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2017/18 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2018/19 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 2021/22 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Whether the Argentine great can translate that record to the international stage will be seen on Wednesday, in perhaps the most significant match of many England fans' lifetimes.
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