Messi, Argentina discover Pickford’s penalty notes after World Cup semi-final

Argentina captain Lionel Messi and his teammates reportedly found England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s penalty cheat sheet after their 2-1 comeback victory in the World Cup semi-final, according to reports.

The notes, taped to Pickford’s water bottle, contained detailed observations on Argentina’s potential penalty takers in preparation for a possible shootout. However, the information was never used as Argentina sealed victory in normal time to book a final clash with Spain.

According to TalkSport, the sheet listed every Argentina player alongside Pickford’s planned approach to facing their penalties. Some instructions suggested delaying a dive or feinting movement, while others identified preferred shooting patterns.

For Messi, who had missed a penalty earlier in the tournament, Pickford reportedly planned to deceive the Argentine captain by shaping to dive one way before committing to the other. For Thiago Almada, the England goalkeeper noted he would rely on instinct, while Enzo Fernández’s entry suggested the midfielder was likely to shoot down the middle.

The report said Argentina defender Marcos Senesi was seen explaining the English-written notes to Messi after the match, while Fernández reportedly reacted with surprise after discovering his penalty tendency had been correctly identified.

TalkSport said the image of the water bottle was first shared on Instagram by Argentina fitness coach Luis Martin before being reposted by football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano. The image has since circulated widely on social media, although it could not be independently verified.

Goalkeepers commonly prepare detailed scouting reports on penalty takers before knockout matches by studying previous spot-kicks, body language and shooting patterns.

Despite making several important saves during the semi-final, Pickford never had the opportunity to put his penalty strategy into action after Argentina completed a late comeback to secure victory.

Reports also suggest the leaked notes could provide Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón with useful insight should Sunday’s World Cup final be decided by penalties.