He could no longer bear the pain of losing four major finals in nine consecutive years. After missing a penalty in the tiebreaker in the Copa America final against Chile in 2016, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football. He said, “The national team is over for me. I have given everything. It hurts not to be a champion.”
But Messi changed that decision and began a golden era. After retirement, Argentina won two consecutive Copa Americas and the World Cup in 2022. He scored seven goals in that tournament, helping Argentina win the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
Record-breaking night against Austria
Messi made history again in the 2026 World Cup against Austria. Two days before his 39th birthday, he scored a brace. He first missed a penalty, but then scored his 17th goal to surpass Germany's Miroslav Klose. He added another, his 18th goal of his World Cup career.
On Monday, exactly 40 years ago, Diego Maradona scored two goals in the quarter-finals against England. On the same day, Lionel Messi made history again - scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Austria.
Record after record
Lionel Messi didn't get off to a good start, missing a penalty in the eighth minute. But just half an hour later, he scored his 17th World Cup goal with a low shot - making him the tournament's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose.
Then came another - in added time in the second half, he slipped through the gap between two Austrian defenders and slotted the ball into the net from a tight angle.
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We don't have time to build statues for Messi or write in-depth analyses. We can't keep up with his pace."
He now has 18 goals in 28 matches. Argentina have already secured their place in the last 16, with a match against Jordan to come, so more goals are expected.
Messi is playing in his record sixth World Cup. He has scored 13 goals since coming out of retirement. Surprisingly, 12 of his 18 goals have come after the age of 35. He has scored 14 with his left foot, and five have come from outside the box.
Balagu added, "He is enjoying the game now, that is the biggest thing. In the last World Cup, we saw him struggling to play the full 90 minutes. This time he is running towards the end like everyone else. Now he knows his body so well that he doesn't need speed or running, he just beats defenders with intelligence. I think we will see him again in four years."
The best footballer of all time?
The statistics next to Messi name seem to be getting brighter every day. Messi has scored all five of Argentina's goals in this World Cup.
He also holds the record for most chances created in World Cup history (76). He has been involved in 12 goals in the last six matches - scoring 10 and providing two assists.
Former Wales defender Ashley Williams said, "We may be looking at the greatest player in the history of football."
"His football intelligence is extraordinary. Finding space and using time - that's what makes him the best player I've ever seen," said former England midfielder Danny Murphy.
France's World Cup-winning forward Olivier Giroud said, "He's not suffering physically, he's got his life under control. That's why he's been able to play for so long."
Dependency of Argentina
But the question arises - is Argentina a little too dependent on Messi?
Former England striker Chris Sutton said, "Messi's magic saved Argentina again. Not just the goals, his contribution tied the whole team together. But Scaloni might want others to score goals too. Can they just rely on Messi?"
The humanitarian aspect is also clear.
Despite being in the headlines for his goal-scoring prowess, Lionel Messi also set some unexpected records in the match against Austria.
Argentina were awarded a penalty after Lautaro Martinez was fouled, but Messi's spot kick went wide.
He later said, "I was very angry after missing the penalty, I took it very badly. Fortunately, we were able to turn the situation around, take the lead and win."
Messi became the first player to miss a penalty at the 2026 World Cup. He is also the player with the most penalties taken (7) and the most missed (3) in World Cup history.
He missed six of his 31 penalties for Argentina. However, in this match, he scored the first time he missed a penalty in a competitive game - breaking the record by scoring twice.
Former England midfielder Danny Murphy said, "Messi is human, he can make mistakes sometimes."
He jokingly added, "Maybe he missed on purpose. Let the record-breaking goal be even more beautiful."
No comments:
Post a Comment