
Marc Guehi made a beeline for Lionel Messi as he walked through the Atlanta Stadium mixed zone following Wednesday's dramatic World Cup semi-final clash between England and Argentina.
La Albiceleste will take on Spain in the World Cup final after Lionel Scaloni's side recorded a 2-1 win over England in what was a bad-tempered game.
In fact, there were a total of 19 fouls in the first half, 12 of which were by Argentina. Giuliano Simeone, meanwhile, was guilty of committing almost half of those but failed to receive a yellow card.
After the full-time whistle, the hostilities continued when Jude Bellingham could be seen hitting Valentin Barco on the back of the head.
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Moments later, Nicolas Otamendi got involved before James Trafford and Dean Henderson acted as peacekeepers, although Morgan Rodgers eventually got involved in the scuffle as tempers flared.
It was a feisty affair between the two great rivals, although Marc Guehi showed his class in the mixed zone when he approached Lionel Messi, who was conducting an interview with Argentine TV.
Messi estaba respondiendo preguntas, pasó Marc Guéhi y le deseó buena suerte para la final
— Modo Scaloneta 🇦🇷🏆 (@ModoScaloneta) July 15, 2026
Esto genera el mejor jugador de todos, en los propios y en los ajenos pic.twitter.com/djH5czvD4y
As he passed Messi, Guehi said in Spanish: "Good luck in the final." Messi proceeded to pause his interview and acknowledge the gesture. He replied: "Thanks, see you."
Marc Guehi criticises England's tactical approach following Argentina defeat
Speaking to reporters after the match, Guehi admitted England "should have carried on" attacking after going 1-0 ahead.
Anthony Gordon opened the scoring for Thomas Tuchel's side in the 55th minute but they retreated in the final 30-or-so minutes, allowing Argentina time and space to attack their deep defensive line.
In fact, England managed just 12% possession between Gordon's goal and Lautaro Martinez's late winner.
"We should have carried on," Guehi said. "We should have carried on pushing. It kind of felt like we scored and the mentality was, go back, defend."
Asked if he believes this group of players can help England win a trophy, Guehi replied: “I don't know. I don't know. It's hard to think about the future right now. At this moment, it's just disappointment. That's all.”
Tuchel has received widespread criticism for how he managed the game, but the FA will continue to back the German head coach, according to ESPN,
"It is heartbreaking to be so close," FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said in a statement.
"The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament. I would like to thank them all and also give my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful fans here in the USA and at home."
"We felt your support every step of the way and we are all so disappointed not to go further."
Topics: Lionel Messi, Argentina, FIFA World Cup, England, Marc Guehi