Many footballers consider facing Lionel Messi a privilege, as several players recently told The Athletic in interviews.

And when the occasion is a World Cup semi-final, the moment becomes even more special. If the task is to stop Messi himself, it is even a greater challenge. One of the England players entrusted with that responsibility in Wednesday's semi-final is Nico O''Reilly.

The 21-year-old defender says he is fully prepared for what he describes as a "once-in-a-lifetime" challenge. O'Reilly has established himself as Thomas Tuchel's first-choice left-back at this World Cup, and in Atlanta he faces one of the biggest tests of his career: containing Messi, who is in superb form at his sixth and final World Cup.

Speaking to BBC Radio about Messi, who has already scored eight goals in the tournament, O'Reilly said, "I can't wait. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He's coming towards the end of his career. For me personally, he's the best player to ever touch a football pitch. And yeah, I can't wait for the challenge."