As Messi turns 39, these 5 mind-blowing World Cup feats crown him the football G.O.A.T.
Lionel Messi, the footballing God’s favourite child, turns 39 on June 24, and with how he and his team are performing, the two can achieve the most coveted crown again: the FIFA World Cup 2026. But before that happens, stare down at the five factors that make him the G.O.A.T in football.
20-year Evolutionary Arc
Messi has redefined football, the art of making it beautiful and what consistency looks like. While he remains Argentina’s youngest World Cup goal scorer (scoring on his World Cup debut against Serbia & Montenegro in 2006), he is also his country’s oldest. Earlier this month, before he turned 39, Messi also became the oldest player to register a World Cup hat-trick (his maiden and against Algeria), breaking Ronaldo’s 2018 record.
Three-Decades Scoring Anomaly
Usually, the footballing prime for most players comes during their 20s, while most fade as the mid-30s approach. That, however, is not the case with Messi, who holds a unique record of being the only player in World Cup history to score a goal in his teens, 20s and 30s. Even legends like the late Pele missed out on this specific multi-decade consistency by mere months.
Acing and pacing at 38
Having won 48 titles across his decorated playing career, Messi still needed a World Cup win to stand out as perhaps the best of his and of all time. However, with a challenge of defending his World Cup crown in front of him, he broke records, social media engagement and whatnot at the age of 38. Following his maiden World Cup hat-trick in Argentina’s opener and brace against Austria in the next outing, Messi broke multiple World Cup scoring records.
Carrying Argentina’s Weight on His Shoulder
Messi has carried Argentina on his shoulders for most of his playing career. After establishing himself as the best player during his early 20s with four Ballon d’Or awards to his name until he was 25, Messi emerged as the marquee player for his club and country. Be it the strategies or the player selection, everything began happening with Messi as the focal point. A decade later, as he approaches the end of his career, he alone carries the weight of his country’s expectations on his shoulders, yet delivers every time.
The Out-of-the-Box Master
Messi is the all-time leading scorer at the FIFA World Cup, netting 18 goals and counting. Out of those 18 shots that breached the goalie, six of them were hit from outside of the box, mostly free kicks. While that may sound unusual, this is the highest number of goals scored by anyone in World Cup history outside of the penalty area. With form on his side, Messi is likely to add a goal or two or maybe more, in the ongoing edition.
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