First match? Hat trick! Just like in the theater, Lionel Messi gave the three opening strikes signaling the show to come in the curtain-raiser of a World Cup he lit up, but the 39-year-old star missed his exit on Sunday in the final.
First match? Hat-trick! Like in the theater, Lionel Messi struck the three opening notes of the show to come at the start of a World Cup he lit up, but the 39-year-old star flubbed his exit on Sunday in the final.
Before his last act, missed against Spain (1-0 loss after extra time), the eight-time Ballon d’Or had delivered a 2026 vintage of the highest quality, a mix of dazzling dribbles and thunderous goals, a version closer to his Barcelona prime than his PSG ghost.
And he didn’t waste any time showing it: Algeria got hit hard (3-0), with two lightning-fast strikes and a poacher’s goal, as if he wanted to quickly prove wrong those who wanted to write him off.The captain had a kid-like smile while celebrating, wrapped in the unconditional love of his teammates and fans, drunk with joy. As the song goes, ‘for the Falklands, for Diego, for Leo’s last one, Argentina, I want to see you world champion twice.’
Through these lyrics, the unofficial anthem of the Albiceleste for the 2026 World Cup, ‘La Cuarta Estrella’ (the 4th star), clearly summed up the spirit driving the team: on the field, there are ten soldiers and one Messi.
‘Hollywood-worthy’
In the second match, number 10 was at it again. Despite missing a penalty, he scored twice against Austria (2-0) and grabbed the record for most goals scored in a World Cup.Yet, despite the journalists’ follow-ups, the humble hero refused to take all the credit for his feat: “I was very angry because of the penalty.”
His goals, anyway, are flowing like ketchup: a direct free kick against Jordan (3-1), the opening goal against Cape Verde (3-2 after extra time), and the equalizer against Egypt (3-2) to bring his total to eight in six matches.
This epic round of sixteen saw him miss a penalty again, then turn the game around with a pinpoint cross for Cristian Romero (2-1, 79th minute) and a winning half-volley (83rd minute, 2-2), before Enzo Fernandez scored the decisive goal (90+2, 3-2).
The Argentine hero, lifted in triumph by his teammates, was so close to the exit that he broke down in tears at the final whistle.”It’s Hollywood-worthy,” like a script that “would never happen in real life,” sums up Thierry Henry on Fox Sports. “This guy is writing history with his feet, it’s unreal,” insists the former French striker, who played alongside ‘la pulga’ (the flea) at Barça.
Absolute freedom
Sure, Messi doesn’t run like he used to, but he hunts while walking, watches for the slightest weakness, scans the field for a tiny opening, and dives into it like a greedy man, quick as lightning.
‘He can do whatever he wants on the pitch,’ as his coach, Lionel Scaloni, bluntly reminded when asked about the possibility that Messi might no longer be the designated penalty taker after his two misses.Physically, the near-40-year-old seemed to have found a second youth during this sixth personal World Cup. He knows his body perfectly, makes sure not to run unnecessarily, and he still has crazy energy at the end of every match.
That’s why former international Joe Cole was pretty reckless when he claimed that England, in the semi-final, was going to “knock him out.”
Because yes, Messi appeared at the end of a suffocating climax to deliver two assists for Enzo Fernandez (85th) and Lautaro Martinez (90+2, 2-1) and turn the Three Lions with their dulled claws upside down.On the other hand, he didn’t create any magical or decisive moment in a final dominated head to toe by Spain, with a fearsome defense that was only breached once in eight matches.
