Lionel Messi and Argentina players expose Jordan Pickford's secret method

After a hard-fought victory over England in the World Cup semi-final, Argentina captain Lionel Messi and his teammates examined opposing goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's water bottle. The bottle was not just for hydration, but covered in specific notes to prepare for a penalty shootout. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

After the match, a member of the Argentine coaching staff found the bottle on the pitch and handed it to Lionel Messi. According to Goal.com, video footage shows Messi carefully studying the notes on the bottle and discussing them with his teammates. The surface of the bottle contained detailed information about the penalty-taking styles and preferred spots of the Argentine players.

Laughter from Argentine stars and Pickford's preparation

Interestingly, the notes on the bottle caused laughter among the Argentine players. In particular, midfielder Enzo Fernandez took it as a joke after seeing information about his name and shooting habits. Although English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had studied the shooting direction of each opponent in advance, the events during the main time of the match rendered this preparation useless.

The England team had been in control for much of the match, but a late turnaround changed everything. Enzo Fernandez equalized, and in stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez scored the winner to send Argentina to the final. Thus, Pickford's "cheat sheet" for the penalty shootout remained on the pitch.

Jordan Pickford is known for his unique approach to penalties throughout his international career. The notes attached to his water bottle had brought victory to England in previous major tournaments. However, this time, due to Argentina's attacking pressure, the match did not reach a penalty shootout. This situation sparked widespread discussion on social media, leading to various jokes among fans.

Now, the Argentina team led by Lionel Scaloni is preparing for the final against Spain to win their second consecutive World Cup title. England, after the defeat, will face France for third place. For Messi and his team, this victory became not only a ticket to the final but also a symbolic proof that all the opponent's plans had failed.