Long after Argentina secured a 3-0 victory over Algeria in the group stage on Tuesday night, midfielder Ibrahim Maza of Algeria and Bayern Munich stepped out from behind a curtain to address the media.
Maza had performed admirably, even providing an assist for Algeria’s disallowed first goal. He witnessed firsthand a remarkable display from Lionel Messi, who scored his third goal of the night, tying Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history. When asked about Messi’s performance, Maza succinctly stated, “I don’t think I need to explain to you [what that means]. I think you just have to watch the game and then you’ll know what I mean by Messi things. He can decide the game on his own, as we saw today.”
He elaborated with a grin, “Superior Player of the Match”
Indeed, Messi dominated the match, netting three expertly taken goals that propelled Argentina closer to the knockout phase.
This performance came precisely 20 years after he scored his first World Cup goal for Argentina. That memorable strike, which occurred during the 2006 group stage against Serbia and Montenegro, showcased a youthful Messi with extraordinary speed and skill, marking his emergence on the global stage.
On that day, he became the youngest player to score a World Cup goal for Argentina, and on Tuesday, he made history again by becoming the oldest, surpassing the previous record held by Martin Palermo by more than two years. Although Messi may move at a slower pace now, his sharpness and ability to exploit space remain unmatched. His presence continues to inspire awe.
After Maza returned to the team bus, Messi appeared, grinning as he held a Michelob Ultra “Honestly [the record doesn’t matter],” trophy, a piece of silverware that seemed trivial compared to his accomplishments.
Messi, known for his competitive nature, often downplays individual accolades, a sentiment he expressed following the match.
“It’s an honor to be there, for what it means to be next to Klose, [Brazilian] Ronaldo is also there. [Kylian] Mbappé too, he scored twice today. At the end of the day it’s just a statistic and nothing more.” he told a group of reporters. “I swear he doesn’t care. Sometimes we’ll be in a room drinking mate and we’ll tell him ‘hey man, you’re just one away or two away’ or whatever. And I swear he has no idea. I don’t know how that works.”
One might question the sincerity of Messi’s humility, given his fierce competitiveness. His focus on Mbappé’s earlier goals and the other names on the scoring list indicates his awareness.
Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s teammate at both Argentina and Inter Miami, who assisted on Messi’s first goal, chuckled when discussing Messi’s record.
“There are no words; anything I say would be superfluous,”
As the match concluded, Messi exited in the 80th minute to thunderous applause, with nearly 70,000 fans chanting his name. He acknowledged the crowd while his head coach, Lionel Scaloni, met him at the touchline, visibly emotional and holding back tears as he took a seat next to Messi. Scaloni was overwhelmed with emotion after Messi’s third goal and again when the Argentine supporters celebrated their team after the match.
“It’s what he’s been doing for 20 years, it’s what the people of this sport want to see.” Scaloni remarked after the game. “What makes me the happiest is that I feel like he’s enjoying it. That he doesn’t feel the weight of the pressure that he felt for so long. Everyone knows his mentality. He doesn’t let himself enjoy things much because he’s always focused in helping us and the team. But I see him good now, I see him happy. That’s contagious among the group.”
“He’s an animal,” De Paul added. “What makes me the happiest is that I feel like he’s enjoying it. That he doesn’t feel the weight of the pressure that he felt for so long. Everyone knows his mentality. He doesn’t let himself enjoy things much because he’s always focused on helping us and the team. But I see him good now, I see him happy. That’s contagious among the group.”
Messi’s joy was palpable on Tuesday night. He celebrated each goal with enthusiasm, reminiscent of the 19-year-old who scored for the first time two decades ago. After the final whistle, he lingered on the pitch, waving to fans and embracing teammates. He wore a warm smile as he made his way towards the team bus in the early morning hours.
