Kieran Trippier tells a story of how Diego Simeone, his former boss at Atletico Madrid, instructed his troops on how best to prepare for the prospect of facing Lionel Messi. How do you stop the greatest player of all time? What tactics, plans or shapes? Trippier said Simeone gave his answer before the team meetings even began: ‘Pray.’Carlo Ancelotti had a different approach. 'If you want to prepare well for a game against Messi, you have to avoid speaking about Messi,' he said. 'If you speak to your players about the skills of Messi, they will be afraid.'Messi is 39 now, yet perhaps that rule still applies. The little maestro has scored eight goals at this World Cup, more even than he managed in almost single-handedly dragging Argentina to glory in Qatar, and somehow Thomas Tuchel and England must find some answers of their own if they are to reach a first final since 1966.What’s most remarkable is teams are failing to stop a player who barely sprints, hardly even runs, and so often stands still.Messi’s average speed of 2.8mph at the World Cup is bettered by 579 other players. According to Opta, of the 46 forwards to play more than 200 minutes, Messi’s 2.7 sprints per 90 puts him dead last by a considerable margin. Lionel Messi has scored eight goals in the USA this summer, more than he's managed at any other World Cup, and he's knocking on 40 Messi’s average speed of 2.8mph at the World Cup is bettered by 579 other players