On July 16th, Beijing time, in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Argentina defeated England 2-1 to advance to the final. After the match, an interesting incident occurred on the field: a player from the Argentine team found a water bottle belonging to England's goalkeeper Pickford, which had the words "tactical clue" printed on it, indicating that it was prepared for the penalty shootout.
Messi and other Argentine players study Pikeford's Aquarius; video screenshot
Messi and other Argentine players gathered together and began studying the water bottle. According to the photo, the water bottle detailed the Argentine players' habits in taking penalties, as well as the corresponding goal-saving strategies.
"Tactical Notes on the Eiffel Bottle" (Translation Edition)
In this match, the England team took the lead with a goal scored by Gordon in the 55th minute. However, the Argentina team launched a fierce attack, and Enzo scored a goal outside the penalty area in the 85th minute, drawing even scores. In the 90+1 minute, Lautaro scored a header inside the penalty area, securing Argentina's victory against England.
The British newspaper Metro pointed out that many goalkeepers now habitually mark their water bottles with "tactical notes," listing the shooting habits of opposing players. In the 2024 European Cup quarter-finals, Pickford effectively used this information to save the Swiss player Manuel Akanji's penalty kick, helping England win the match.
In the match against Argentina, Pickford was clearly well-prepared for a penalty shootout. After Argentina equalized the score, England tried to prolong the game into extra time or even a penalty shootout. However, with Argentina scoring the winning goal in the final minute, the game ended without a need for a penalty shootout.
