Lionel Messi and other Argentina players were photographed examining a water bottle that appeared to contain detailed penalty kick notes on Argentina’s shooters a bottle believed to belong to England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The images, which circulated widely after the match, showed Argentina players gathered around the bottle and apparently reading the scouting information written on it. The notes were consistent with the kind of penalty tendency charts that goalkeepers and coaching staffs commonly prepare ahead of shootouts.
Pickford has built a reputation for using exactly this type of research. The Everton shot-stopper relied on a similar written guide during England’s run at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he saved a penalty from Colombia’s Carlos Bacca in a round of 16 shootout that England ultimately won.
The practice of keeping written penalty notes charting a shooter’s preferred side, run-up pattern, and historical tendencies is well established in elite soccer. Goalkeepers and their analysts compile the data well before a match, and the information is often taped or written directly onto a water bottle for quick reference during the high-pressure moments of a shootout.
Whether Messi’s inspection of the bottle had any practical effect on the outcome of the shootout was unclear. Argentina advanced on penalties, continuing their run in the tournament.
