Lionel Messi has turned back the clock at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with two magical performances for Argentina.
When Lionel Messi helped Argentina lift the trophy at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, most believed it was the most poetic end to the little magician’s international career.
After all, the Inter Miami star was already 35 years old at the time. However, fast forward to 2026, and Messi has hit the ground running at this World Cup with sensational performances in Argentina’s back-to-back group stage wins.
Julian Alvarez left speechless by Lionel Messi’s magic
Following dominant wins against Algeria and Austria, Argentina have already secured a place in the Round of 32 of this year’s FIFA World Cup.
The defending champions are yet to concede a goal in the tournament, but what’s even more amazing is the fact that Messi has scored all five of Argentina’s goals so far.
He’s in unbelievable form, and who better than his teammate Julian Alvarez to explain what it feels like to witness Messi’s magic even at this point in his career.
“Impressive. There aren’t a lot of words to add,” Alvarez said, per USA Today. “We try to enjoy the day to day with him, help him, be with him and these moments are magic, honestly.”
Indeed, Alvarez and the rest of the Argentina team are enjoying Messi’s brilliance from the best seat in the world: the ground.
Lionel Messi smashed Miroslav Klose’s World Cup record
Just a decade ago, Messi had abruptly announced his retirement from his international career following a series of heartbreaks and failures.
But today, the 8x Ballon D’Or winner has one of the best international resumes of all time and he continues to add more accolades to his name.
For instance, after scoring a brace against Austria, Messi smashed German legend Miroslav Klose’s record of most goals scored in World Cup history.
Messi currently sits at the top with 18 goals to his name and has a real shot at breaching the 20-goal mark before the end of the 2026 World Cup.
After all, Messi is currently leading the race for the Golden Ball with five goals, one ahead of the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, who are both in the prime of their respective careers.
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