ATLANTA, Georgia: Southampton jokingly “banned” Lionel Messi from the city after Argentina beat England 2-1 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal at Atlanta Stadium.
Argentina overturned a 1-0 deficit through late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez. Messi supplied the decisive pass for Martínez’s stoppage-time winner, sending the defending champions into a second consecutive final.
A social media account representing Southampton then published a satirical notice saying the city had barred Messi with immediate effect following an “emergency review” of England’s elimination.
The post joked that Messi would need to cancel a planned holiday in Southampton. It added that he could submit one written appeal before the tournament ended, while the city’s waterfront, marina and container port remained open to other international visitors.
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The announcement was not an official legal restriction and appeared to mock Messi’s role in ending England’s World Cup campaign.
Argentina are scheduled to face Spain in the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The match will mark Messi’s third World Cup final after his appearances in 2014 and Argentina’s title-winning campaign in 2022.
