Sport: Soccer Country: England Category: Scores & Results

Argentina players find Pickford's penalty notes after comeback win

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 16, 2026, 8:03 AM

Last updated Jul 16, 2026

Argentina players find Pickford's penalty notes after comeback win

Summary

Argentina's players discovered notes on England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's water bottle detailing how they might take penalties. This occurred after Argentina secured a 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup semi-final, with the decisive goal coming in stoppage time. Following the match, Lionel Messi and teammates shared laughs as they examined the notes, which had gone viral online. The bottle was initially overlooked until after the final whistle, prompting a moment of amusement among the team, highlighted by a now-deleted Instagram post from fitness coach Luis Martin.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final.
•Jordan Pickford had notes on Argentina's penalty tactics.
•The notes were found by Argentina players post-match.
•Lionel Messi and teammates laughed over the notes.
•Luis Martin shared the moment on social media before deleting it.

Latest Updates

8:03 AMYahoo Sports — Argentina have a good laugh after finding Pickford's penalty notes

What they're saying

"
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was prepared for everything in the World Cup semi-final but probably did not expect a vital piece of information to land in the hands of opponents Argentina and go viral. Like others have done in the past, Pickford had attached a piece of paper to his water bottle with printed notes how Argentina players would take their penalties in the case of a potential shoot-out.
— Yahoo Sports

Related Teams & Leagues

Soccer