Lionel Messi will finally face England for the first time in his career on Wednesday – and the collision of football and golf could force the Royal & Ancient to rewrite the schedule of the 154th Open Championship.
The World Cup semi-final in Atlanta pits the defending champions against Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions, who are seeking to end 60 years of hurt. Messi, the greatest player of his generation, has never before played against England, a rivalry that dates back to 1962 and has been marked by wonder goals, red cards and political tension. In 1966, England manager Alf Ramsey described the Argentine side as 'animals' after a brutal quarter-final in which captain Antonio Rattin was sent off and refused to leave the pitch.
“Lionel Messi faces England for first time in World Cup semi-final; R&A may shift Open final round to avoid clash.”
Argentina fans are aware of the threat. "Easy peasy!" one told the Standard, while others acknowledged England's quality. But the consequences of an England victory extend beyond football. The final round of The Open, scheduled for 19 July, would clash with the World Cup final (8pm BST) if England win their semi. The leading group typically tees off at 2.30pm, but the R&A has discussed pushing that forward by less than an hour. "We will attempt to avoid a clash," R&A chief executive Mark Darbon said in April. Broadcasters NBC and Sky will be consulted if a change is needed.
England have not won a World Cup since 1966 and have won three of the five World Cup meetings between the sides. Their last meeting was in 2002. If they lose the semi, they will play the third-place match on Saturday at 10pm BST – a time that does not overlap with The Open's third round.
Harry Kane, who played golf with Donald Trump in Florida 18 months ago, said the president's golf was "pretty good" and called the experience "surreal". But for now, all attention is on Wednesday's semi-final and the possibility of a historic clash of sports on 19 July.