Argentina Uncovers Pickford's Penalty "Cheat Sheet," Messi's Reaction is Priceless

Amidst the post-match celebrations in Atlanta, where Argentina staged a 2-1 comeback against England to secure their second consecutive World Cup final berth, an entirely unexpected situation unfolded. The "Albiceleste" players discovered England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's water bottle, complete with his "cheat sheet" for potential penalty shootouts.

As part of his meticulous preparation for a possible penalty shootout, the Three Lions' custodian had a detailed note taped to his bottle, outlining how Argentina's star players take their spot-kicks. The list included the names of Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, and Lionel Messi, with precise instructions next to each name regarding the goalkeeper's movement, such as "feign left – dive right," "stay central," "dive left," and so on.

For instance, the instruction for Argentina's captain stated that despite being left-footed, Pickford should dive to his right. There were even directives for Gerónimo Rulli, Argentina's reserve goalkeeper.

Footage captured by ESPN shows Nico Gonzalez presenting the aforementioned instructions on the bottle to Leo Messi. The "number ten's" expression and reaction were truly priceless. The Argentine players began meticulously examining the bottle amidst their celebrations. Lip readers quickly deciphered their conversation, which instantly went viral on social media.

According to them, the following was said:

Although a penalty shootout ultimately wasn't needed, as Argentina sealed the match in 90 minutes after their comeback, this scene from the Atlanta pitch became an absolute sensation. Fuel was added to the fire by Argentina's fitness coach, Professor Luis Martin, who shared a photo of the infamous bottle on his Instagram profile with a short and clear message to the English: "Too bad, our plans were different, weren't they?"

World Cup matches are broadcast live on bnt.sportal.bg. The platform will stream all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup program in real-time.

Argentina will face Spain in the grand final on Sunday at 10:00 PM Bulgarian time, and it remains to be seen whether Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón will prepare a similar bottle for Messi and his teammates.