Messi's record
For months, Argentina and football fans worldwide have been anxiously awaiting Lionel Messi's reaction, after he hinted at the possibility of not participating in the 2026 World Cup , citing fitness reasons and a desire to give the stage to younger players.
When the tournament takes place in the US, Canada, and Mexico, Messi will celebrate his 39th birthday (June 24th). He has already won the World Cup, the Copa America, eight Ballon d'Or awards, and has virtually no more peaks left to conquer.
And then Messi showed up. Not just to be present. He opened the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria, in Argentina's 3-0 victory, equaling Miroslav Klose's World Cup record of 16 goals.
Another night of history calling Messi's name, with records once again at his feet. Even more significant as this was his 200th match with Argentina.
Messi's goals no longer feel like a chase. The 2014 World Cup was a quest for the trophy, Russia 2018 was an attempt to save a generation. Qatar 2022 was a conquest to complete his career. The 2026 World Cup is like a reward for someone who still doesn't want to leave the ball.
38 years and 357 days
After nearly 30 years of living and breathing football, he still retains the same joy of playing as he did on his first day.
Now, with his hat-trick against Algeria, the Argentina captain shares Klose's record of 16 goals in World Cups.
The story behind that number is also interesting: Messi became the first player in World Cup history to score against 11 different national teams: Serbia, Mexico, Nigeria, Bosnia, Iran, Croatia, Australia, Netherlands, France, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria.
No other legend has ever done that. Jurgen Klinsmann, Ronaldo Nazario, and Klose all stopped at 10 opponents.
Beyond the statistical aspect, this number holds significant meaning. To score against 11 different teams in the World Cup, he must have existed long enough to face many different generations of football.
Messi needs to maintain his level of performance long enough to consistently appear on the biggest stage, and he needs to keep his competitive spirit alive long enough to continue making a difference.
Messi transcends time.
The World Cup is a tournament of moments, but Messi 's career is defined by time.
From 2006 to 2026, Messi scored in 20 consecutive World Cups. His former teammates have retired. Many of his old rivals have become coaches. But M10 remains.
Just look at how Messi beat Luca Zidane for the first and third goals – his sixth from outside the penalty area in World Cups, the most in history – and you'll see that time hasn't taken away his extraordinary talent. The second goal was a quick, opportunistic strike.
More precisely, time may affect Messi's speed, but it cannot take away his most important asset: his love for football.
This was clearly evident in the way Messi played against Algeria. Leo no longer carried the burden of having to win the World Cup, nor was he competing with anyone.
The 2022 championship brought an end to the biggest debate of his career.
Therefore, Messi is in North America to enjoy himself. Not for titles or records, but simply for his passion for football.
There's an interesting detail in the stories about Messi's childhood in Rosario. As a red-haired boy in the Tiro Suizo neighborhood, Leo often made other teams nervous whenever he appeared. Parents who saw him wearing the number 10 jersey knew their team was going to have a very difficult match.
Back then, Messi played football for the joy of it. Nearly four decades later, as an adult and father of three, that seems to have remained unchanged.
The goals against Algeria are historically significant. But the lasting value isn't in the numbers, but in Messi's smile, the way he enjoys each moment like a child.
Modern football is obsessed with numbers, with the media and fans overusing data. But what makes a player immortal often lies outside the statistics.
We remember Pelé for his joy; Diego Maradona for his emotion – sometimes even his darker side; Johan Cruyff for his captivating attacking philosophy . Now and in the future, Messi will be remembered for his beauty.
The 2026 World Cup is a huge stage, and Messi is the whole world. Almost the entire stadium came to a standstill when he left the field to make way for Nico Paz.
Fans are still captivated by Messi, with the image of the boy who used to chase the ball in Rosario remaining vivid. He's still the same "Coloradito" ("The Red-Haired Boy"; his childhood nickname).
(Source: VTV)
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/argentina-thang-algeria-3-0-world-cup-va-bau-troi-messi-2526640.html
