It is almost unbelievable that Lionel Messi has never faced England in a senior international match.
Since making his Argentina debut in 2005, the 39-year-old has cemented his status as one of the greatest players ever to grace the sport, yet a meeting with the Three Lions has somehow never materialised.
Through a blend of near misses, unfortunate scheduling and perhaps a touch of fate, England has never come up against the Argentine superstar.
That is set to change on Wednesday, when Argentina face England in the World Cup semi-finals, with either Spain or France awaiting the winners in the final.
With the first meeting between Messi and the Three Lions now just days away, it is worth looking at how one of football's most anticipated international match-ups has taken more than two decades to happen.
Why Messi and England Never Crossed Paths
Through a mixture of circumstances, Argentina have not faced England in a senior international for more than 20 years.
It is a fixture that has produced some of football's most memorable moments: Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" and "Goal of the Century" in 1986, England's quarter-final victory on the way to lifting the World Cup in 1966, and David Beckham's red card before Argentina progressed on penalties in 1998.
The rivalry has also been shaped by political history, with the Falklands War adding another layer of intensity whenever the two nations meet.
Given the fixture's rich history, it is remarkable, if not cruel, that the footballing world has been starved of such an occasion for so long.
Curiously, though, Messi has technically had the chance to face a senior England side before — but, as explained below, the circumstances have never aligned for a meeting.
Read More: England vs Argentina: A World Cup Rivalry Shaped by Six Decades of Drama and Controversy
The Red Card That Changed Everything
On 17 August 2005, an 18-year-old Lionel Messi, a highly-rated talent emerging from Barcelona's La Masia academy, was introduced as a substitute against Hungary in the 63rd minute for his senior international debut, just weeks after winning the U-20 World Cup with Argentina's youth side.
Almost instantly, Messi looked to make an impact, collecting the ball and driving deep into the Hungarian half. However, under pressure from defender Vilmos Vanczak, the teenager attempted to hold him off with his arm.
The Argentine's arm caught Vanczak in the face, with the referee deeming the contact intentional and issuing Messi a straight red card. Just 47 seconds after entering the field, the shellshocked youngster was sent back to the dressing room.
It is astonishing that one of the greatest international careers in football history began with such a difficult moment, even if Argentina still secured a 2-1 victory in the friendly.
A couple of months later, Argentina faced their old rivals England in a friendly — a meeting that would unknowingly become the last between the two nations for more than two decades.
Despite featuring in two World Cup qualifiers before the England clash, Messi's suspension carried over into the friendly fixture, leaving the teenage star unavailable despite travelling with the squad to Geneva.
The match itself remains memorable, as England twice came from behind before Michael Owen's late double secured a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Twenty Years of Near Misses
Since the 2005 friendly, the rivals have yet to face off in either competitive tournaments or international friendlies.
Across World Cups - where Messi has now featured in six editions - England and Argentina have repeatedly fallen short of progressing far enough in the same tournament to create a potential meeting.
The closest opportunity came at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. England's controversial 4-1 defeat to Germany in the Round of 16, which included Frank Lampard's infamous disallowed goal, eliminated the Three Lions before a possible quarter-final clash with Argentina.
The irony was that a 23-year-old Messi awaited the winner of that tie with a Diego Maradona-managed Argentina side, only for Germany to dismantle them 4-0 in the quarter-finals.
There have also been near misses outside the World Cup. Argentina met Italy in the 2022 Finalissima after the Azzurri defeated England in the Euro 2020 final. Spain later earned the right to face Argentina by winning Euro 2024 against England, but the planned 2025 Finalissima was cancelled before the two nations could meet.
As for why another friendly has never been arranged, the exact reasons are not fully clear, but it appears to be a case of circumstance rather than intentional avoidance.
Since 2005, the international calendar has become increasingly crowded and regionally focused, with competitions such as the UEFA Nations League and expanded qualifying schedules leaving fewer opportunities for traditional worldwide friendlies.
However, unless Messi is unexpectedly ruled out, Wednesday night will finally deliver the long-awaited meeting between the Argentine icon and the Three Lions at the Atlanta Stadium.
