There are few things more basic than turning towards a screen and expecting Lionel Messi to score. It is why spectators fill MLS stadiums on the regular, like clockwork, a drilled-in habit rather than an intentional, carefully chosen option. It is probably why thousands spent hundreds or thousands of dollars to pack Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on a Tuesday as Argentina faced Algeria in their World Cup opener. There’s almost a banal predictability to it, to the point that it almost doesn’t feel like news because of its routine nature; all the more easy to write him off because he’s a week away from his 39th birthday.
And yet, Messi still manages to captivate.
Another chapter to Messi’s already historic legacy was written on Tuesday in the American Midwest and an appropriate one at that. The World Cup winner equalled Germany international Miroslav Klose’s record for most career tournament goals with 16, reaching the feat on the back of three expertly taken goals that offered the latest reminder of his unnaturally natural talent. The historic goal was perhaps the least exciting of the three he scored on Tuesday, but it did not dim the quality he boasts more often than not when he takes to the pitch. Nico Gonzalez’s pass landed at Messi’s feet, the star with barely any bodies around him to try to nick the ball away. It was the perfect opportunity for him to take a shot from the edge of the penalty area and after two impressive goals behind him, he was not going to miss from there.
Leave it to Messi to mark multiple accomplishments in one go. He managed the feat while winning his 200th cap for Argentina and did so on the day of his very first World Cup hattrick, all while becoming his team’s oldest-ever goalscorer at the tournament exactly 20 years after becoming their youngest-ever scorer. It was also the first hattrick of this summer’s World Cup, six other players scoring braces to open the tournament before he notched a third.
It is a noteworthy feat for someone whose quality has undoubtedly dimmed from his peak years, and for the leader of a team many do not believe will successfully defend their World Cup title from 2022. It has been easy to suggest that Messi and Argentina will not be at the peak of their powers this time around; one win, no matter how notable, is not enough to necessarily change minds. He has been on the verge of being outshadowed by younger players making their best case to take over the spotlight he will undoubtedly leave behind one day – France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland each opened their World Cup campaigns with a brace in decisive wins for their teams.
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals | Tournaments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 | 2002–14 |
| T-1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 16 | 2006–26 |
| 3 | Ronaldo (R9) | Brazil | 15 | 1994–2006 |
| T-4 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 14 | 2018–26 |
| T-4 | Gerd Müller | West Germany | 14 | 1970–74 |
| 6 | Just Fontaine | France | 13 | 1958 |
| 7 | Pelé | Brazil | 12 | 1958–70 |
| T-8 | Sándor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 | 1954 |
| T-8 | Jürgen Klinsmann | Germany | 11 | 1990–98 |
| T-10 | Helmut Rahn | West Germany | 10 | 1954–58 |
| T-10 | Teófilo Cubillas | Peru | 10 | 1970–82 |
| T-10 | Gabriel Batistuta | Argentina | 10 | 1994–2002 |
| 13 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 8 | 2006–22 |
Somehow, someway, though, Messi seems to find a way. For the first time in his storied career, he is back at the World Cup without the weight of a passionate nation on his shoulders. The trophy that had eluded him for decades has already been won, every complementary accolade already part of the collection. Without another title this summer, his impressive legacy is already set. Every time the sport itches for a new star, Messi offers a stark reminder that his abilities have not faded all that much – he might not be peak Messi anymore, but Messi is still Messi. Opposing defenders rarely seem to have a solution, even if it is the most obvious job they will be tasked with. Even if a Messi goal is ridiculously easy to predict, his movements are hard to track on the field; he will make his moments count far more often than he will not, leaving opponents and fans alike stunned.
Perhaps more impressive is that Messi has checked off a batch of accomplishments in the latter stages of his career. He now stands at 16 World Cup goals, but he had just six entering the 2022 tournament, notching seven last time out as Argentina’s decades-long wait for the title came to an end. Now with the pressure off, there’s a freedom that underscores his play; he continues to make it all look easy, somehow always living up to the billing.
The odds are technically not in Messi’s favor – simply put, an aging star should not be the leader of a title contender, let alone doing this type of thing. Messi has never been the average player and at this point is not your regular post-peak elite athlete. As long as he is on the pitch, Argentina will be difficult to underestimate – and Messi will be impossible to write off.
