Messi, Messi, Messi. The story goes on. Argentina's debut at this World Cup did not disappoint at all: 3-0 against Algeria, with a hat-trick from the phenomenon from Rosario.
At almost 39 years old (he will turn 39 on June 24), Leo keeps rewriting football history and draws level with Miro Kloseat the top of the all-time World Cup scorers list, with 16 goals. Not a bad calling card.
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The former Barcelona man's sixth World Cup begins with a bang, then, with a perfect 10/10 performance in which he destroyed the opposition — practically on his own. There could have been no better way to celebrate 200 appearances with the Albiceleste.
And yet the story could have been very different. In the 31st minute, in fact, Leo committed a bad foul, one that has already caused and will continue to cause plenty of debate. He went in with his studs on the opponent's calf and it did not even result in a yellow card. For many, though, the doubts remain.
Once the danger passed, the one-man show continued, with Luca Zidane, son of Zizou , involved as he was in the stands supporting the Algerian team. Instead, the former Real star witnessed exactly what he would never have wanted to see, with his son Luca being bombarded with shots from the 1st to the 90th minute.
There were two major errors, both on the first two goals: first, the Granada goalkeeper misread the trajectory of Messi's left-footed shot and conceded because of a clumsy intervention; but even worse was the rebound that led to the 2-0,when the 28-year-old bundled himself up badly and left the ball there after Mac Allister's low drive. A gift far too easy for Messi to unwrap, as he only had to tap in his second.
That was effectively the end of the match, even though there was still time to witness history when, in the 76th minute, Messi again received the ball from Nico Gonzalez, turned on the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot into the corner. Zidane was blameless here, it was all Leo.
In the stands, it was delirium. The 20,000 Argentinians who flocked to Kansas City turned Arrowhead Stadium into La Bombonera, to the sound of "Messi, Messi".
At almost 39 years old, Leo becomes the oldest player ever to score at least a brace at a World Cup, overtaking Cameroon's Milla.
Not a bad response to Mbappé and Haaland, who had kicked off their respective tournaments just a few hours earlier with two goals each.
The pressure on Messi was immense, and that became clear from the tears that appeared on the Argentine champion's face after the first goal. It was an emotional moment that took everyone by surprise, but the Albiceleste No. 10 himself explained the reason after the match:
" I've been through difficult, complicated days because of something that has nothing to do with sport. But I want to thank the whole delegation, all my teammates, because they were always by my side, giving me strength and helping me feel well. The records? They're nice, it's an honour to be alongside Klose for what it means to be there. But for me, they're just statistics... ".
Who knows what will happen between now and July 19. One thing, however, is certain: the reigning champions have absolutely no intention of giving up their crown and, with a Messi like this, taking it from them will be anything but easy.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in ๐ฎ๐น here.
