We tried and failed — Mikel Obi explains why England will struggle to stop Messi

The 39-year-old playmaker has been in superb form at this World Cup, almost single-handedly dragging Argentina to the semifinals, where they will now face England.

Messi has dominated the tournament in the United States, racking up eight goals and providing two assists to spearhead his country's charge.

Remarkably, Messi has never played against England in his competitive senior career.

Despite his age, he remains a nightmare for defenders to deal with.

Mikel, who faced Messi on several legendary occasions during his time at Chelsea, detailed just how impossible it can be to contain the Argentine maestro.

Speaking on 'The Rest Is Football' podcast with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, Mikel used his past battles to explain England's upcoming tactical nightmare.

"How do you stop Messi? We all tried, and we all failed," Mikel said.

"When we used to play against Barcelona, we always talked about Messi and how to stop him. Jose Mourinho always set up tactics, but it never worked."

The former midfielder emphasised that standard defensive assignments simply do not apply to the Argentine icon.

"You can go man to man, but you never want to be caught walking around with Messi," Mikel added.

"It is incredibly difficult because he is such a genius. Thankfully, during my time at Chelsea, he never scored against us, but when we left Chelsea, he started scoring."

England will be hoping Messi can finally be contained on Tuesday night in what promises to be a blockbuster semifinal.