Here he goes again. How's he got away? He's gonna lose it now, yep, he's gonna lose it. Someone's gotta take if off him! He surely can't go all the way... Except he doesn't. And he does.
Even at 35 years old, who's anyone to doubt Lionel Messi? On the biggest stage of all, the World Cup, Argentina's talismanic magician is producing one of the all-time great solo campaigns. Dragging his side through the knockouts and all the way to the final thanks to a string of mesmeric displays, his unearthly powers were no more evident than in their 3-0 semi-final win against Croatia at the Lusail Stadium.
It didn't start like that - far from it. A shock 2-1 defeat to unfancied Group C opponents Saudi Arabia prompted voices of doubt from around the globe. "Messi the other night – he was walking around the pitch," Gary Neville firmly declared to Sky Sports. "I said at half-time 'people don't fear him anymore'. They don't! When he's on the ball now, people go and take it off him. Go and tackle him."
Yes, Gary, they do. And no, Gary, they can't.
In fact, if there was any defender in Qatar that you would think could stop him, then Croatia's Josko Gvardiol would've been right up at the top of the list. The 20-year-old has enjoyed a superb tournament, with Rio Ferdinand naming him as his favourite defender of this year's World Cup.
The son of a lower-league footballer-turned-fisherman, Gvardiol has been notable not just for the mask he wears - due to a broken nose suffered in a collision with RB Leipzig teammate Willi Orban in early November - but because of his standout performances in the Middle East. Rarely bullied or battered, done for pace or outwitted, he is expected to be the subject of a slew Premier League bids in the coming months; fees of £80million-plus have been mentioned.
He is the future of Croatian football according to his country's head coach, Zlatko Dalic: "If Luka (Modric) is the face of Croatian football now, the future belongs to Gvardiol."
Croatia had reached the final four largely based around the excellence of their metronomic midfield, fine goalkeeping and Gvardiol's standout display. They drew with dark horses Morocco, held high-profile Belgium and frustrated favourites Brazil (for 90 minutes at least) throughout their largely imperious run to the semi-finals.
And things were going quite well in an even first 35 minutes against the Albiceleste... until they weren't.
Blown away by two rapid-fire Argentine goals, - one of which an awesomely-struck Messi penalty - Croatia attempted to fight back and the second period showed signs that they were still in the contest, despite being seriously lacking in the final third. But it was in the 69th minute, with Argentina looking in danger of throwing away a lead for the third time in six games, when the gulf in class was laid bare.
A gulf between one legend and mere footballing mortals.
Picking up a knock-down from strike partner Julian Alvarez, who despite scoring two goals in a World Cup semi-final at the age of 22 wasn't even the star of the show, at a throw-in on the halfway line, Messi found himself one-on-one with his highly-rated Croatian opponent.
"He's happy for the battles, very physical," Ferdinand had said of Gvardiol to BBC Sport earlier in the tournament. "He has got pace, too, and I think all those attributes you need as a modern-day defender.'
Surely this would be the moment for the rising star to stop his elder and make a statement-like challenge, putting Croatia back on the front foot and en route to a possible comeback? Not quite.
Without a second thought, the Paris Saint-Germain superstar switched into high gear, letting his unmatched instinct consume him and charging down the right flank. Gvardiol, who'd seen the ball neatly flicked over his left foot, was scrambling. 'How could he be so much quicker than me?' he must've thought. Alas no, it was Messi.
With no pass available and his teammates far behind, the diminutive destroyer of careers slowed up; biding his time and, unbeknownst to the burnt-out Gvardiol, ready to toy with his prey.
'I've got him now. Edge of the box, back to goal' - it all seemed as if the Leipzig stalwart had managed to stunt his opponent's progress. But no, it was Messi.
Stunningly, a thrust of his left arm held the burly 6ft 1in defender off. A drop of his right shoulder, then a drop of his left and he was away; turning elegantly into the box with Alvarez on the prowl and anticipating the assist that was ready on plate.
It didn't matter what Gvardiol did, it didn't matter that he eventually got a brush of Messi's shirt and looked to be sending either him to the ground or the ball into the Lusail Stadium stands. It didn't matter because this was Messi.
Croatia's Mateo Kovacic raced back in a bid to help his teammate, but like anyone who'd gone to make a quick brew midway through the second half, he was too late. A cute pullback from Messi's weaker right foot - nutmegging Gvardiol just for good measure - and Alvarez had a tap-in. And we? we had our mouths agape.
"That was just genius," Ally McCoist proclaimed on commentary, as the Rangers icon and Arsenal hero Lee Dixon waxed lyrical as part of ITV 's commentary team.
The rest of the game didn't matter, too, it was over.
Argentina had won and Messi had conquered. He'd given his country a night to remember, the football community a feeling of awe to embrace, and the young Croatian who attempted to stop him nightmares for weeks.
"Gvardiol has come into this game with a big, big reputation as a young man going up in the came but he's come up against an absolute genius there," former England defender Stuart Pearce affirmed on TalkSPORT.
"He twisted, he turned, he showed strength, he showed vision, he showed balance, he showed everything.
"And he's just taken Argentina to the final of the World Cup. Incredible play by Messi. Absolutely incredible. I had to drop my microphone and just applaud what I'd just seen, incredible."
Pearce, as we should all agree, added: "It was an absolute privilege."
The goal was just about capable of describing, but what about the man? Are there enough superlatives for him anymore? "There's nothing left to say about Messi," Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni joyfully confessed in the bowels of Lusail. "It's a privilege to have him."
So what will Sunday's final bring? Be it holders France or Morocco, be afraid. "'That third goal was a moment of genius," Neville told ITV. "[The World Cup is] a mission, and one that Messi is delivering on his own at the moment.
"He’s got 10 fighters who are scrapping around him."
Roy Keane, another Cristiano Ronaldo acolyte, even wants Messi to clinch the elusive crown. "What we're seeing here live, he's doing it against really good players and he's been doing it for years," Keane added.
"I really hope he goes on to win the World Cup, it would be the icing on the cake. They were on their knees against Holland but they found a way to win."
It'd no-doubt be another moment from Messi destined to go down in footballing history; the image of him being held aloft by his teammates, holding the sparkling World Cup trophy with Argentina's name on it.
But they've won nothing yet and he knows it.
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"It's difficult to put this in words," the once Barcelona No.10 admitted post-match.
"This is what I've always dreamed of as an Argentinean. It is emotional and our people support us in a way which is unforgettable. We are making history.
"We're celebrating because it's something very exciting, but there's still a step left. It's a time to enjoy, but we already have to think about what's to come."
We know one thing that's to come: sleepless nights for a humbled Gvardiol.
