Messi single-handedly decided the match with a hat-trick, helping Argentina easily defeat Algeria in their opening game. Remarkably, those three goals were scored exactly 20 years after his first World Cup goal. On June 16, 2006, the then 19-year-old long-haired teenager was brought on in the 74th minute of Argentina's match against Serbia and Montenegro. Seventeen minutes later, he scored in the 88th minute with incredible speed and sharpness, becoming the youngest player in history to score for the Albiceleste at the World Cup. He still holds that record today.
Two decades later, Messi once again etched his name into history, becoming the oldest player to score for Argentina at the World Cup. He was the youngest, and he was the oldest.
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The situation where Messi scored against Algeria. Photo: Getty |
Messi's genius brain seems to still function with astonishing precision, even though his speed and physical prowess are no longer what they were in his youth. He still finds space in seemingly non-existent areas and continues to render opposing defenses helpless, just as he has for the past 20 years.
After the match, Messi appeared with the Man of the Match award in his hands. And as usual, "El Pulga" (Messi's nickname) didn't seem too concerned about individual milestones.
In comments from coach Scaloni's post-match press conference, quoted by The Guardian, Messi and De Paul clearly demonstrated those noble qualities. "Honestly, individual records aren't that important to me, but being alongside names like Klose, Ronaldo de Lima, or Mbappe (on the list of top World Cup scorers) is an honor," Messi expressed.
Messi's close teammate, Rodrigo De Paul, also laughed when asked about the captain's record. According to The Guardian, De Paul said: “I swear Messi doesn’t really care. Sometimes when we’re drinking mate (a traditional South American herbal drink), we tell him he’s only one or two goals away from reaching a certain milestone. But Messi doesn’t seem to know. I don’t understand why he can be like that.”
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| Lionel Messi captivated the packed stadium in Kansas City. Photo: Getty |
In the 80th minute, when he was substituted, Messi received prolonged applause and chants of his name from tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium. Before the match began, television cameras also captured many tears as Messi and his teammates emerged from the tunnel. And of course, those tears were for Messi's presence.
After the 2022 World Cup, many major newspapers in Argentina, such as Olé, Clarín, and La Nación, acknowledged Messi as a living legend, placing him on par with Diego Maradona and even elevating him to the status of a saint in Argentina through wordplay like "D10s" or "Lios" (Dios in Spanish – the most common language in Argentina – means "God." Number 10 is Lionel Messi's jersey number. "D10s" and "Lios" are ways the Argentine press compared Messi to a saint).
On the sidelines and in the dugout, coach Lionel Scaloni – the "captain" who led Messi to victory in the 2022 World Cup – couldn't hide his emotions either. He shed tears several times during the match, from the moment Messi completed his hat-trick until the team paid tribute to the fans after the final whistle.
“I have nothing more to share. Anything else becomes superfluous when talking about Messi. What he did today is exactly what he has been doing for the past 20 years. That’s also what football fans all over the world want to see,” coach Scaloni shared after the match, as reported by The Guardian.
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| Coach Scaloni broke down in tears during the match as Messi shone. Photo: TyC Sports |
Both coach Scaloni and midfielder De Paul believe that the most encouraging thing is how Messi is truly enjoying football. According to De Paul, Messi carried a lot of pressure for many years, always putting the team before himself. But now he seems more relaxed, happy, and joyful. This also affects the whole team.
That was perhaps the most beautiful image from Argentina's opening day in Kansas City. Messi smiled after each goal, even breaking down in tears, just like the 19-year-old boy he once was.
According to international media reports, after the match, he lingered on the pitch for a long time to greet fans, hug his teammates and their children, and savor the special moment. Twenty years after his first World Cup goal, Lionel Messi continues to make the world exclaim, as Ibrahim Maza put it: "That's simply something only Messi can do."
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/do-don-gian-la-dieu-chi-messi-lam-duoc-1044752
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