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NEW YORK – A few weeks back, Lionel Messi celebrated his 39th birthday, in the middle of dominating a World Cup at a point when Pele had been retired two years, when Maradona hadn’t earned a national team cap in five and Zinedine Zidane was just as far past head-butting his way out of the 2006 final.
Messi is the statistical leader to win the Golden Boot for most goals scored – tied with France’s Kylian Mbappe with 8 goals but ahead on the assists tiebreaker – and the obvious current favorite for the Golden Ball presented to the competition’s most outstanding player.
Because of his age, it widely has been assumed the World Cup final Sunday against Spain at New Jersey’s Meadowlands would be his last official act with Argentina’s national team. Because of his performance, it seemed prudent for someone to ask the question of whether that really is the case.
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“What do I know?” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters Friday at the Javits Center in Manhattan. “Ask him. I don’t have the foggiest idea. I don’t know what to answer. He doesn’t stop surprising us.”
In fact, his behavior was somewhat predictable Friday afternoon. He was at the Javits Center for a brief public appearance at which three representatives of the two finalists were on stage with comedian Kevin Hart and England great Rio Ferdinand as hosts, and superstar athletes Novak Djokovic, Kevin Durant and Tom Brady entering one-by-one to join the soccer stars.
Messi did not appear, though, as team captains traditionally do – and as Spain’s Rodri did earlier – at the final pregame press conference. It was a five-floor elevator ride away, but instead Argentina was represented in that venue by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. So we couldn’t ask Messi himself.
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This will be Messi’s fourth major tournament final since 2021, all with Scaloni as head coach. Argentina won the previous three: the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, the World Cup in 2022. Argentina can become the third team ever to win consecutive World Cups, joining Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962).
It is an overwhelming opportunity, but Messi no longer carries the burden of elevating his national team success to the same level of accomplishment he enjoyed while a young maestro at FC Barcelona: winning four UEFA Champions League titles, three FIFA Club World Cups and besting Real Madrid to win Spain’s La Liga 10 times.
There were times when his commitment to Argentina was challenged by some who are passionate about the national team; it was noted that he’d left home at 13 to attend Barca’s La Masia academy. How Argentine was he, really?
Now, you see it after every game: celebrating with the overwhelming mass of fans who crowd out even dedicated fans from a soccer-mad country like England, embracing his teammates and coaches, maybe even sharing a tear or two with some.
“You see how people are celebrating, how happy they feel, and that really gets to us,” Scaloni said. “It’s impossible for this not to reach the bottom of your heart. We always say that Argentina, the national team, they always play for the country, for the people, for those families expecting to watch the national team.”
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Scaloni said the love for Argentina has become so consuming you’ll even fans of fierce rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate hugging one another after victories.
“This is something that makes us feel really emotional,” he said. “It can’t be otherwise. In a World Cup, this unity, this team spirit, is essential. We really feel it. People are with us and supporting us.
"And it’s good to express emotion. It’s part of life. It’s part of what we are. It makes you even more human.”
Messi searched for Scaloni on the field in Atlanta after Argentina earned the opportunity to play in this game with a 2-1 comeback victory against England. The Argentines have scored 12 goals after the 75th minute in this tournament, and so much of that is Messi, who manages to conserve energy and then to punish opponents holding late leads or engaged in tie games.
“He’s pure history,” Scaloni said. “His history, his legend … Reaching a final at 39 years of age, I think is something unbelievable. That’s why I think we need to enjoy him as it happens.
“Together, this group of people with us these wonderful years … They have done something unbelievable. My whole staff will be thankful forever. I think this was something beautiful, something wonderful.
“If we don’t win, this journey was unbelievable, and an example for everyone, I hope.”
It has been, just not in every way it could have. There's never been anyone who's done more to share the magic of soccer, but why not make an effort to spread its gospel, as well?
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