New Delhi: After Argentina’s 2-1 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final comeback over England, Argentine players discovered England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s penalty “cheat sheet” taped to his water bottle. Lionel Messi and his teammates gathered to inspect the detailed notes, sharing a chuckle since late goals rendered the shootout preparation entirely unused.
Footage captured the moment on the pitch when a member of the Argentinian backroom staff retrieved an abandoned water bottle belonging to Pickford. Within seconds, Messi, Enzo Fernandez, and Nicolas Gonzalez were seen together, passing around the plastic bottle, amused, and shaking their heads.
The “cheat sheet” had a meticulously detailed breakdown analysing the exact penalty-taking habits and angles of every major shooter in the Argentine squad. It is not unprecedented for a goalkeeper to use analytical notes to prepare for potential penalty shootouts. Pickford had relied on such notes in earlier instances, particularly against Colombia in the 2018 World Cup and against Switzerland in the 2024 Euro.
While the English goalie came prepared for the penalties, the match had other plans.
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Another dream comeback
The tense match between Argentina and England remained goalless in the first half. English forward Anthony Gordon scored the first goal in the 55th minute of the game, gifting his side a 1-0 lead. Following the goal, England manager Thomas Tuchel structurally shifted gears. He withdrew his attacking outlets to implement a rigid, ultra-defensive back-five system.
The Argentinian side, on the other hand, went all in on attack. In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernandez equalised, before a stoppage-time header from Lautaro Martínez breached England’s defensive wall. Assisted by Messi, both goals foiled Tuchel’s master plan of defending the game.
The English manager defended his tactical steps.
“I analysed the match, and I did it a certain way, so that’s my responsibility. In the moment, no regrets. The team gave everything, and we were very, very close. We deserved to be up 1-0,” Tuchel said. The German national also said that it was “…maybe our best match in the circumstances. The team was top, we couldn’t get over the line, but no regrets.”
With England’s hopes of winning the World Cup crashing, they now look forward to the next edition. Meanwhile, Argentina rolls into New York to defend their crown against Spain.
Argentina, led by Messi, will face a stacked Spanish side, which boasts talented players in all positions—from defence to attack. For England, they will play France for the bronze medal.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)