Messi Pickford Bottle Reaction: Argentina's celebrations after booking a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final took an amusing turn when Lionel Messi stumbled upon something unexpected. As the players celebrated their dramatic semi-final victory over England in Atlanta, the Argentine captain was spotted having a look at a bottle, surrounded by teammates, with a curious look on his face. It was later revealed to be England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's bottle with penalty plans. Check it out:
Pickford's Penalty Plan Catches Argentina's Eye
The now-viral clip shows Messi carefully examining the writing attached to Pickford's water bottle, which featured Argentina players' names along with where they were expected to shoot their penalty kicks.
Such notes are common in modern football, with goalkeepers often relying on extensive scouting reports in case knockout matches are decided from the spot.
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However, the level of preparation appeared to have surprised Messi, who spent a few moments reading through the details before sharing them with his teammates.
Other Argentine players, like Enzo Fernandez, were seen smiling and laughing seemingly after noticing their own names listed on the bottle.
Argentina Complete Another Stunning Comeback
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Fortunately for Argentina, Pickford never got the chance to use those notes.
England looked set to end their long wait for another FIFA World Cup final after Anthony Gordon gave the Three Lions the lead in the 55th minute. However, just as they had done earlier in the tournament, Lionel Scaloni's side found another gear when it mattered most.
Messi inspired the comeback with two brilliant assists, first setting up Enzo Fernandez before delivering a sublime cross for Lautaro Martinez to score the winner in stoppage time.
The victory sends Argentina into a second consecutive FIFA World Cup final, where they will face Spain with the opportunity to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the title.