Messi's Unforeseen Resurgence
In 2016, following a painful defeat in the Copa America final against Chile, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football. The loss, which included a missed penalty by Messi, was Argentina's fourth major final defeat in nine years, leading him to state, "For me, the national team is over. I've done all I can. It hurts not to be a champion."
Remarkably, nearly a decade later, and just two days before his 39th birthday, Messi is not only still playing for reigning world champions Argentina but has also achieved the historic feat of becoming the World Cup's all-time leading goal scorer. His decision to reverse his retirement has ushered in a period of significant success for both him and his country, including two Copa America titles and the 2022 World Cup, where he captained the team and scored seven goals.
Rewriting the Record Books
On a Monday, precisely 40 years after Diego Maradona's memorable two-goal performance against England in a quarter-final, Messi once again etched his name into football history. He scored both goals in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria, a moment described by BBC commentator Steve Bower as "another immortal Messi moment." Messi expressed his enjoyment of the game and the joy it brings to fans, stating, "I enjoy playing and having a good time on the pitch. We enjoy seeing the people like this too, being able to give them this kind of joy."
Despite an early penalty miss in the eighth minute, Messi quickly recovered, scoring his 17th World Cup goal with a low strike 30 minutes later, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose to become the outright top scorer in tournament history. His 18th goal followed in second-half stoppage time, squeezed past two Austrian defenders from a tight angle. Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague noted on BBC Radio 5 Live, "We don't have time to create statues for Lionel Messi or deep analysis for him in newspapers. We cannot keep pace."
- 18 goals in 28 World Cup appearances.
- 13 tournament goals since reversing his international retirement.
- 12 of his 18 World Cup goals scored since turning 35.
- 14 goals struck with his left foot, four from outside the box.
Messi is currently participating in his sixth World Cup, and with Argentina already securing a spot in the last-32, further records are anticipated, especially with an upcoming match against Jordan.
The Debate: Greatest of All Time?
Messi's statistics continue to impress. He has scored all five of Argentina's goals in the current World Cup, leading the top goal scorers list by two. Against Austria, he became only the third player, after Just Fontaine (1958) and Jairzinho (1970), to score in six consecutive World Cup matches. He has also created the most chances in the tournament's history (76) and has been directly involved in 12 goals (10 goals, two assists) in his last six World Cup matches.
Former Wales defender Ashley Williams and ex-England midfielder Danny Murphy both debated if Messi is the greatest player ever. Murphy commented, "His football intelligence is off the charts, he just finds space and the timing is great from the best player I've ever seen." Former France striker Olivier Giroud highlighted Messi's physical management, allowing him to maintain such a high level of play.
However, former England striker Chris Sutton raised a point about Argentina's potential over-reliance on their captain. "It is not just his goals, but it is his contribution to the team. The way he knits things together - he is the little guy for the big moments. I suppose the negative side for Lionel Scaloni is he probably wants other players to contribute with goals. They can't just rely on Messi, or can they?"
Human Moments Amidst Records
Even amidst his goal-scoring prowess, Messi demonstrated his human side by missing a penalty after Lautaro Martinez was fouled. "There was a moment where I was very angry about the penalty, because I missed it and I took it very, very badly," Messi admitted. "Luckily we were able to reverse that situation, take the lead and get the three points."
This miss made him the first player to miss a penalty at the 2026 World Cup and he now holds the record for both most penalties taken (seven) and missed (three) in tournament history (excluding shootouts). He has also failed to score six of 31 penalties for Argentina. However, by scoring two goals after the miss, it marked the first competitive match where Messi scored for Argentina after also missing a penalty. Murphy jokingly suggested, "Maybe breaking the record was meant for a better goal." South American football expert Tim Vickery added, "The gods of football obviously didn't want him to break the record with a penalty, they wanted him to break the record with a goal from open play."
With 18 World Cup goals and currently level with Maradona on eight assists, Messi is poised to break even more records. His next opportunity to make history will be in Argentina's final group match against Jordan.
Source: From retirement to records - another immortal Messi moment