England's Unfathomable Retreat Against Argentina in World Cup Semi-Final
Gary Lineker branded England’s approach to Lionel Messi and Argentina “unfathomable” after Thomas Tuchel’s side threw away a 1-0 lead and a place in the World Cup final.
In Atlanta, with England edging towards a first World Cup final since 1966, the game slipped from their grasp in the most brutal, familiar fashion. A 2-1 defeat, sealed in stoppage time, owed plenty to Messi’s late artistry – but also, in the eyes of former players, to England’s own tactical retreat.
England retreat, Argentina rise
Anthony Gordon had given England the perfect platform, striking in the second half to put Tuchel’s team in front and briefly tilt the semi-final in their favour. From that moment, though, England shrank.
Tuchel responded to the lead by loading his back line, introducing three defenders and inviting Argentina on. The world champions did not need a second invitation. Wave after wave of pressure followed as England sank deeper, their attacking threat evaporating.
Argentina twice rattled the woodwork, the warning signs growing louder each time. The pressure finally told when Enzo Fernandez stepped onto a loose ball 25 yards out and drove a fierce strike beyond the England goalkeeper to level the match.
England, rattled and rooted to their own penalty area, never recovered their composure. Messi, sensing the space and the panic, drifted into the game’s decisive areas.
In stoppage time, the Argentina captain found room on the right, lifted his head and delivered the kind of cross defenders dread. Lautaro Martinez met it, and England’s World Cup dream vanished in an instant.
Lineker: “Put someone on him”
For Gary Lineker, watching Messi operate with freedom against a side supposedly built on Tuchel’s tactical detail was impossible to comprehend.
“I found it absolutely unfathomable that, if your tactic is to sit everyone deep, you do that against the greatest player ever to play football,” Lineker said on The Rest Is Football.
He highlighted Messi’s growing body of World Cup records – most goals, most assists – as evidence that this is not a player you can afford to leave unattended, especially when you are already camped on your own 18-yard line.
“And he moves to the right, yeah, and you play a back five, and you still don’t go and get tight to him,” Lineker continued. “Just put someone on him. He had so much space. He just whipped ball after ball after ball into the box.”
England did neither: they sat deep without a specialist marker and allowed Messi the time and angles he thrives on. The punishment was inevitable.
Tuchel under fire, but still backed
Tuchel, contracted through Euro 2028, is still understood to retain the backing of the Football Association. His record and reputation carry weight, and England’s run to a World Cup semi-final will not be dismissed lightly at Wembley.
The manner of this defeat, though, has sharpened the scrutiny. The decision to turn a 1-0 lead into a rearguard action against the defending champions has drawn heavy criticism, not least from those who have played at the highest level for England.
Micah Richards was blunt in his assessment.
“Today he got it wrong,” Richards said. “And he has to accept that. They were too deep. As soon as we scored that goal, we had no outlet.”
That lack of an outlet left England trapped, unable to relieve pressure or stretch a tiring Argentina back line. It also kept Messi exactly where he wanted to be: on the ball, in space, dictating the final act of the night.
Argentina now move on to face Spain in Sunday’s final, their title defence still alive, their belief renewed. England head home with a familiar question hanging over them: with a lead in their hands and history within reach, why did they back away from the fight?
