Lionel Messi's reaction after Argentina players find Jordan Pickford's penalty cheat sheet

Jordan Pickford had a cheat sheet on his water bottle in the event of a penalty shootout, and Lionel Messi's reaction was caught on camera.

Argentina crushed England's World Cup dream on Wednesday night in Atlanta after producing yet another fightback.

Anthony Gordon sent the Three Lions into pandemonium with his opener at the start of the second half. England then tried to protect their lead for the remainder of the game and were punished.

Pundits and fans widely criticised Thomas Tuchel for his substitutions against Argentina, first bringing on Ezri Konsa for goalscorer Gordon and retreating to a back five, and then introducing Nico O'Reilly and Dan Burn in an attempt to cling on to their 1-0 advantage.

It took an Enzo Fernandez wonder strike to break the Three Lions' resistance in the 85th minute, and then Lautaro Martinez broke their hearts with his 92nd-minute header as the reigning champions booked their place in the final against Spain.

In the aftermath of their gut-wrenching semi-final defeat, Tuchel has come under huge pressure for costing England with his substitutions. However, the German reportedly has the FA's backing to continue in the position.

Jordan Pickford's water bottle was also accidentally left on the pitch after full-time, and it featured every Argentina player's name and an instruction for him to follow in the event of a penalty shootout.

The instruction for Thiago Almada's potential penalty was particularly interesting, as it simply read 'feel on the day', while Lionel Messi's was quite the opposite - 'fake left, dive right'.

Messi was one of several Argentina players who had a peek at the water battle, and he went viral for his amused reaction to what Pickford wrote.

Buernos dias kochani.

Z Bitwy o Atlantę Anglicy uciekali tak szybko, że gubili po drodze swoje fanty.

I jednym z nich był bidon Pickforda, na którym miał rozpisane jak w Argentynie strzelają rzuty karne.

Messi i spółka mieli niezły ubaw😉pic.twitter.com/wSFwYHx8p3

— Michał Borowy (@MiBorowy) July 16, 2026

The 39-year-old was the instigator of his side's incredible comeback, teeing up Fernandez for his powerful strike from outside the box before finding Martinez with an inch-perfect cross on his weaker right.

Lionel Messi reacts after Argentina reach another World Cup final

Although England's hearts were crushed after failing to reach their first World Cup final for 60 years, La Albiceleste have the opportunity to win successive tournaments since Brazil last did so in 1962.

Lionel Scaloni's men will be brimming with confidence ahead of Sunday's final against Spain, and Messi gave an accurate summary of how the semi-final unfolded.

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“I think we showed again [today] what we’ve been doing for years. This team plays free-flowing, high-quality football," he said.

"We’re patient and we know how to read the key moments in a game. I think we dictated the game from the start. Although we didn’t create any clear chances before half-time, we were in control and saw a lot of the ball. And after they scored, we were even better."

Meanwhile, looking ahead to the final, the former Barcelona star added: "They’re a tremendous team, with outstanding players. They play excellent football.

"I know the Spanish side well and they have a style of play they’ve developed over many years. I know the players too. I’ve played against many of them and I follow them closely. Several of the squad play for Barca, a club that means a great deal to me and that I still keep up with. It will be a special World Cup final and obviously, I expect it to be very closely matched."