Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after the team's third goal off an own goal by Diney Borges #3 of Cabo Verde during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Argentina and Cabo Verde at Miami Stadium on July 03, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Credit: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi is still bending a World Cup to his will at 39, and that alone makes the Argentine captain the story in tournament football right now. At 1.70 metres tall, with pace that is plainly not what it once was, Messi keeps producing the kind of damage that makes the old idea of athletic greatness look a bit thin.
How Messi World Cup Greatness Still Works
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