Messi, Argentina finds Pickford’s penalty cheat sheet – Report

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford prepared detailed penalty-saving notes on Argentina’s players ahead of their World Cup semi-final clash in Atlanta, but he never had the chance to use them after his team suffered a 2-1 defeat in normal time.

The notes, which were attached to Pickford’s water bottle, were reportedly discovered by Argentina players, including captain Lionel Messi, during their celebrations after completing a comeback victory on Wednesday night.

England had taken the lead through Anthony Gordon before Enzo Fernandez equalised for Argentina, with the South American side scoring twice late in the game to secure their place in Sunday’s final against Spain and avoid a penalty shootout.

According to Talk Sport, Pickford’s cheat sheet contained the names of Argentina’s players alongside specific instructions on how he intended to respond if they took penalties.

Some of the notes reportedly instructed the goalkeeper to fake a dive or delay his movement, while others contained shorter directions.

For midfielder Thiago Almada, Pickford’s note simply indicated that he would rely on instinct during the moment.

For Messi, who had missed a penalty earlier in the tournament, Pickford’s instructions reportedly suggested diving in one direction after initially preparing to move the opposite way, anticipating that the Argentina captain might alter his usual approach.

Talk Sport reported that Tottenham defender Marcos Senesi was seen explaining the instructions to Messi, who appeared puzzled because the notes were written in English.

For Fernandez, who scored Argentina’s equaliser with a long-range effort, Pickford had reportedly predicted that the midfielder would attempt to place his penalty through the middle.

Fernandez was said to have reacted with relief after seeing the note, pointing upwards after realising his usual penalty approach had been identified.

Talk Sport reported that Argentina fitness coach Luis Martin shared an image of Pickford’s bottle on Instagram, although the post could not be independently verified.

Football journalist Fabrizio Romano also shared the image, which has since spread widely across social media platforms.

Goalkeepers often prepare penalty research before major knockout matches by analysing players’ previous kicks, preferred shooting directions, body movements and tendencies under pressure.

Despite having prepared for a possible shootout, Pickford’s efforts were not needed as Argentina completed their comeback before extra time.

The leaked information could now prove valuable ahead of the World Cup final, with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón potentially gaining insight into Argentina’s penalty habits.

Fernandez, in particular, may need to reconsider his approach after his preferred technique was reportedly revealed.

Argentina are familiar with penalty shootouts at major tournaments, having defeated France through spot kicks to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.