Former France captain Hugo Lloris has revealed the particular instructions given to midfielder N'Golo Kante by head coach Didier Deschamps in order to deal with Lionel Messi at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Argentine maestro had endured a tough run in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup, scoring a single goal against Nigeria. La Albiceleste had also struggled to find their way into the knockout stage, barely scraping through as group runners-up with a win, a draw and a loss. Conversely, France eased into the knockout round with two wins and a draw.
The two sides were drawn to face each other in the Round of 16. Much of the pre-game talk centred around how France would stop Messi, who was still regarded as the biggest threat despite his underwhelming tournament up to that point.
The onus of stopping the 2014 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner fell on Kante, who was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in football at the time. Lloris has now revealed Deschamps' specific instructions given to his ever-smiling teammate.
In an appearance on the Rio Meets podcast hosted by ex-Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, the 39-year-old shotstopper said:
France won the game 4-3 and went on to lift the 2018 FIFA World Cup title, beating Croatia 4-2 in the final. While Lloris has retired from international duty, Kante is still a part of the French squad that has reached the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Former England forward Jay Bothroyd has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur star Djed Spence could help Thomas Tuchel stop Lionel Messi in the Three Lions' 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final clash against Argentina.
Spence has played in all six of England's games at the ongoing World Cup (two starts), featuring at both right-back and left-back. With Reece James' absence due to injury and Jarell Quansah's suspension, he is likely to play a major role in the last four encounter against Argentina.
Messi, meanwhile, has been a contender for the tournament's Golden Ball award. He has racked up eight goals and two assists in six games thus far and will likely be the focal point of Tuchel's defensive plans.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Bothroyd asserted that Spence could do better than regular left-back Nico O'Reilly in terms of the battle with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. Urging Tuchel to play the 25-year-old on the left, the former Arsenal academy graduate said (via Metro):
The highly-anticipated FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina will be played at the Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday (July 15).
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