Joe Cole Sparks Outrage With Bold “Put Messi to Sleep” Claim Ahead of Semifinal

ATLANTA (Sports Desk) — Former England international winger Joe Cole has ignited a fierce international football controversy ahead of the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal clash between England and Argentina. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Cole confidently claimed that the Three Lions would entirely neutralize Argentine captain Lionel Messi, stating that the English squad is fully equipped to “put him to sleep, 100%.”

The provocative commentary has added immediate fuel to one of international football’s most historically volatile and tense rivalries. With the high-stakes semifinal scheduled to take place at the Atlanta Stadium, the fixture marks the first time in Messi’s legendary senior career that he will face the English national team on the pitch. Rather than displaying typical pre-match caution, Cole doubled down on his bold assertion when co-host Micah Richards attempted to ease the tension by warning that such statements should be reserved for the final minutes of a match.

Cole rejected the caution, insisting that Thomas Tuchel’s English squad possesses a distinct tactical advantage. The former Chelsea midfielder explained that England’s overwhelming athletic pace across the pitch would completely expose and overwhelm Argentina’s structural setup. He strongly guaranteed an English victory, adding that he could “feel it in his bones” that the Three Lions would easily navigate past the reigning world champions to book a spot in Sunday’s World Cup final.

The commentary quickly sparked a wave of furious responses across South American sports media outlets. Major Argentine newspapers, including Diario Olé, ran front-page headlines accusing the British punditry of showing severe, arrogant disrespect toward the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and the Albiceleste squad. Local commentators heavily reminded fans of past instances where opposing figures openly provoked Messi before major tournament fixtures—most notably Louis van Gaal ahead of the 2022 quarterfinal clash—only for the actions to backfire spectacularly on the pitch.

Cole is not the only high-profile English pundit expressing immense confidence before the blockbuster matchup. Fellow television commentators Gary Neville and Ian Wright echoed similar sentiments, with Neville publicly questioning the technical speed of Argentina’s central defensive pairings. While English fans remain highly energized by the bold media predictions, neutral analysts have warned that fueling motivation for a highly lethal Argentine attacking unit—which has already logged multiple gritty knockout victories in this tournament—is an incredibly high-risk pre-match strategy.