“It Is Not Normal”, Says Messi Ahead of World Cup 2026 Semi-Final Clash

Argentina remains on course to defend their FIFA World Cup 2026 title after defeating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in Saturday's quarterfinal, earning a semifinal meeting with England in Atlanta. The victory leaves the defending champions two matches away from retaining the trophy, a feat no Argentine team has previously achieved.

Messi describes Argentina's success as “not normal”, pointing to the team's ability to remain among the world's best after already winning football's biggest prizes.

"It's good that [Argentine] people are enjoying it as much as we are. That's how we live it.

"This group has got people used to doing things that aren't normal: it's not easy to come back from being world champions, winning everything we won, and then continue competing and remaining at that level, among the top four, playing in another semifinal ... It's not normal, that's why we have to enjoy it so much.

"We don't know if it will happen again, if it will happen again, when. We went a long time without being world champions until the last time, so everything that comes next should be enjoyed and valued. We will try to rest, recover our strength and compete in the semifinal."

The quarterfinal itself proved more demanding than the final score suggested. Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring before Dan Ndoye restored parity midway through the second half, forcing Argentina to search for a winner.

The semifinal against England will be another major test for the holders, who have reached the last four despite facing close contests throughout the tournament.

Messi believes Switzerland's resistance reflected the challenges Argentina have encountered throughout the competition.

"We know the difficulties of this World Cup, how it's been going.

"We expected a tough match. In the first half, even though we took the lead, they made it a hard game for us. They kept equalizing, we couldn't play our game, we couldn't maintain possession for long periods. And without the ball, we sat too deep. Their red card completely changed the game, but it was still difficult."