Matthew record snatched, Argentina’s goal record topped: Lionel Messi puts on a show in the World Cup semi-finals. He just sneaks around the square for a long time. It’s all a clever plan – to finally gild your own inheritance completely and to smash a huge burden.
Every movement a stroke of genius, every touch of the ball a poem written with his feet. Every game a show. And that, although he often only sneaks across the square and is hardly to be seen. Lionel Messi is a phenomenon. Unique. It’s a privilege to see him play in this tournament. A gifted technician and goalscorer, he always was. But the Argentinean is dominating this World Cup because he’s grown up – and finally wants to free himself from the burden of history.
Even in the clear 3-0 (2-0) victory over Argentina, Messi knows when to trade his almost sleepy walks across the pitch for incredible slalom runs, precise passes and ice-cold finishes. The fans in Qatar and on the devices see the best Messi that a World Cup has ever produced. “This team is crazy and we made it, we’ll play one more final and we have to enjoy it,” said the little playmaker after the easy victory.
But at first it looks like anything but a walk for the Albiceleste. Croatia is more grippy in the duels and determines possession in the first 20 minutes at the Lusail Stadium. The kick-off is historic for Messi: The 35-year-old is playing his 25th game at a World Cup, equaling Lothar Matthäus’ record.
Messi, the walker personified. At his advanced age, the 35-year-old is known for often sneaking across the pitch, which is also evident over long distances at the World Cup. It wasn’t until the 21st minute that he increased the pace for the first time, but apart from a dribble with a one-two, not much jumped out. Nobody can yet know which sprints, shots and shows the Schleicher will conjure up on the field in the coming minutes. However: Many of the 88,000 spectators in the Lusail Stadium certainly suspect it. Possibly all.
Because the walker confuses fans and opponents with his style of play. Almost cheekily he jogs around with small steps that look even smaller because of his small legs. Here he stops. There he strolls a few meters. But Messi’s head circles in all directions like a bird’s. Left. To the right. In front. Rear. Left again. Like a cartographer, he perceives and records everything around him, analyzes in real time and knows before anyone else where the weak points in the opposing defense lie.
Then when he receives the ball, all the tendons in his body tense up as if at the push of a button and there is one of those increases in tempo out of nowhere that his fans love him for. Keeping the ball close to the foot. Inimitable. Typical. Within milliseconds, Messi can turn around opponents and his own axis in the smallest and finest movements, thus gaining air and creating opportunities. Like no other on the planet. The Croatians should have been startled out of their sleep one or two times last night – if they managed to get any sleep at all.
Because the drama for the vice world champion from 2018 unfolds quickly and brutally after the good start. And Messi is, of course, always in the middle. In the 34th minute Julián Álvarez suddenly pierces through and is served in an exemplary manner by Enzo Fernandez. Because Dejan Lovren is sleeping, the young Manchester City attacker runs alone to Dominik Livakovic. The keeper knocks him down, there are penalties.
Schleicher Messi, logically, lays the ball very leisurely on the spot. But then there is a double explosion when the shot is fired: first with the completely humorless hammer of the ten (not at all stroller-like) under the bar – and then in the ranks. The goal puts Messi past the next legend, Gabriel Batistuta, to become the only Argentine with 11 goals at the World Cup.
Less than two minutes later, the Albiceleste came a big step closer to the big dream of the final. And what a crazy goal that 2-0 in the 39th minute is, for which a Messi sprint is also responsible, albeit a minimal one. A very small one, with which he tips the ball past Marcelo Brozovic after a Croatian corner in such a way that Álvarez can go into the full sprint.
From the center line, the attacker now overruns all opponents who stand in his way, as if someone were pressing the sprint button on the Playstation controller. Álvarez gets stuck several times but gets the ball back to his feet just as often before volleying it in from close range. Messi jumps into his arms. Now here is madhouse. Ronaldinho, who played with Messi at FC Barcelona, ??also claps in the grandstand.
Messi is everywhere now. Whether at a walking pace, with a quick touch of the ball or in fifth gear. First he clears three opponents out of traffic with an increase in speed and, under extreme pressure, fits strongly to the left side. He then hits a corner at the first post, where Alexis Mac Allister is completely free and only missed with a header thanks to a strong save from Livakovic. As a last action before the break, Messi shakes a loose ingenious dribbling out of his ankle, with which he just winds around four Croatians in the best snake-like manner and can only be stopped by a foul.
In the second half, Messi does a few leisurely laps at the far right end of the beautiful stadium green. But then he doesn’t give a damn about going for walks. At the left corner of the penalty area, the tener nibbles at his opponent by pirouetteing on a beer mat. Then plays a fine one-two, but Livakovic just parries his shot with the left from a tight angle.
But the decision follows a few moments later in the 69th minute. One of the most beautiful of this World Cup. Messi leads the ball on the right flank and is closely followed by Josko Gvardiol. The 20-year-old central defender from RB Leipzig, for whom a transfer fee of up to 100 million euros is in the room and in which FC Bayern is said to be interested. It doesn’t matter. Even ten Gvardiols – without being disrespectful – would have no chance against the “flea” today. Not a single defender in the world would have that.
This time Messi is hanging on the Playstation controller and playing Gvardiol dizzy, letting him run to the edge of the box with an incredible body trick, pulling towards the baseline and towards goal. What follows, of course, is the perfect pass behind the defence. There, his congenial partner Álvarez, of course, runs perfectly free and pushes in to make it 3-0. What a template! What a goal! The Argentines are spinning their wheels. Álvarez, aged 22 years and 316 days, becomes the youngest double in a World Cup semi-final or final since Pelé in 1958.
Tonight, Doha celebrates perhaps the best, because most mature, Messi a World Cup has ever seen. Ex-colleague Luis Suárez writes about Messi on Instagram: “You never tire of showing that you are the best in the world. The world needs to stand up and applaud everything this man has given to football.” The ‘old man’ knows exactly when to sneak around at a leisurely pace and when to ignite his incredible turbo for those brilliant Messi moments. Now he is about to be crowned. And the dream of all Argentina is alive.
Because Messi carries the burden of an entire country on his rather slender shoulders. Not only that. Plus the burden of the story. The burden of becoming the equal of perhaps the greatest playmaker of all time. For decades, football-mad and proud Argentina has been looking forward to finally snapping Messi to the great success of 1986 under Maradona’s direction. Nothing has been won yet, but the tournament, which almost ended in the greatest possible catastrophe after the opening defeat by Saudi Arabia, is already a success for Argentina. The crushing burden, Messi almost completely shattered it.
After being unable to follow Maradona’s path to success in national dress for a long time, Messi, who emigrated early from his native Rosario to FC Barcelona, ??is not always popular in Argentina. Many believe he has yet to win that one title to become a legend. To become immortal. What the 1986 World Cup hero, the icon who died two years ago, still means to the country can also be seen from the fact that almost the entire stadium pays Maradona homage in the 10th minute: “Dieeego, Dieeego” echoes from the ranks.
This tournament is Messi’s last chance to win the World Cup. To become Argentina’s next legend. “I’m very happy to end my trips to World Cup tournaments with my last game in a final,” he says himself. “It’s many years until the next World Cup and I don’t think I’ll make it there. And Finishing it that way is for the best.” On Sunday in the final against France or Morocco, Lionel Messi is also concerned with his personal legacy. Will people first walk and then do magic?