Lionel Messi: The Foot of God
IN HIS RECORD sixth FIFA World Cup appearance, Lionel Messi not only created records, but also broke a jinx. At 38, he is the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick. With his hat trick in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria on June 17, the diminutive footballing genius equalled Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the World Cup scoring record of 16 goals—which he may surpass in the coming days.
Then Messi’s Argentina achieved something the country had never been able to do twice in the past when he was not around. After winning the World Cup under Daniel Passarella and inspired by Mario Kempes at the 1978 FIFA World Cup for the first time, in the opening match of the 1982 World Cup, La Albiceleste lost 1-0 to Belgium at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. Again, in the opening match of the 1990 World Cup, Argentina lost to Cameroon at the San Siro Stadium in Milan following their win in 1986 under Maradona. In that sense, Messi, who steered his team to glory four years ago in Qatar, has succeeded where his predecessors could not.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also broke another record with his hat trick, involving himself in 24 World Cup goals (16 goals and eight assists). The record was previously held by Pelé (21 goals). The hat trick was Messi’s first at the World Cup and 11th in his international career. He also put to rest intense scepticism over whether he could physically endure the tournament.