Lionel Messi record vs. England: Argentina star's history against Three Lions and English clubs

There aren't many things that Lionel Messi has not done in his career, as the 38-year-old gets set to contest the semifinals of his sixth FIFA World Cup with Argentina.

And yet, he will check something new off his list as the Albiceleste square off against England in Atlanta on Wednesday: a new opponent.

The Three Lions are looking for revenge against Argentina for a pair of painful World Cup defeats, as elimination in both 1986 and 1998 left a permanent scar in the country's football history. 

The Sporting News details Messi's history against not just England the national team, but also English clubs throughout his time at Barcelona and PSG.

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Has Lionel Messi played against England before?

Lionel Messi has never played against England before in his international career.

The only time Argentina faced England in Messi's entire career was on November 10, 2005, in an international friendly. Messi did not play in that game due to a red card suspension that carried over from his international debut, when he was sent off in the 65th minute against Hungary.

While there is no FIFA rule about red cards in friendlies carrying over a suspension into future matches, sometimes federations will honor these in subsequent friendlies as a gesture of good faith. Messi appeared in three World Cup qualifiers after his red card against Hungary, but Argentina then honored a one-match suspension in their next friendly, which came three months later.

Without a 17-year-old Messi, Argentina would have lost the match by a 3-2 score.

What did Lionel Messi say about England?

Lionel Messi has indicated he is anticipating a difficult match against a strong opponent when Argentina take on England in the World Cup semifinals.

"Everything I have seen and remember [about Argentina vs. England from 1986] is from videos and images that Argentinians constantly watch and relive," Messi told ESPN Argentina in the run-up to the match. "But I think this group is used to playing football matches regardless of the opponent.

"Obviously, playing against England is special because they are a powerhouse, and matches against powerhouses are always special. Personally, it's the first time I'm going to play against them. I've played against everyone except England, so it will be nice for that reason too.

"And we'll experience it for what it is: a World Cup semifinal against a powerhouse, a great team, and we'll try to arrive in the best possible shape to compete again."

Lionel Messi history vs. English clubs

Lionel Messi has played 36 matches in the UEFA Champions League against English clubs. Of those matches, he has won 19 of them, losing nine and drawing eight.

The team Messi had the most success against is Manchester City, whom he defeated six times and drew two in his eight matches against. He also had great success against Arsenal, winning four of the six games they played while scoring a whopping nine goals in those matches.

Conversely, the club Messi struggled against the most was Chelsea, losing six of their 10 meetings while winning just two and drawing the other two.