Lionel Messi is once again at the heart of Argentina‘s World Cup campaign, leading the defending champions into the quarterfinals with another series of match-winning performances. At 39, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to defy expectations, topping the Golden Boot race with eight goals and delivering whenever his team need him most. His influence has been crucial throughout the tournament, particularly in the knockout stage against Cape Verde and Egypt. Argentina looked on the brink of elimination after falling two goals behind to Egypt, while Messi had already endured the disappointment of a first-half penalty miss. But the captain refused to let the match slip away. He set up Cristian Romero to spark the comeback before scoring the equaliser himself, completely changing the momentum of the contest. Enzo Fernandez then headed home the winner in stoppage time as Argentina completed a remarkable 3-2 comeback, with Messi once again proving to be the driving force behind their title defence.
Messi was overcome with emotion after the final whistle, unable to hold back tears as he guided Argentina into another World Cup quarterfinal. The defending champions will now face Switzerland, who booked their place in the last eight after edging Colombia in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw.
After watching Messi inspire another remarkable Argentina comeback, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has played with him in the past, was full of praise for the 39-year-old, saying the World Cup once again brought out the very best in the Argentina captain.
“He became an animal, and nobody could catch him. He just went on, went on and…, and this is the one I saw, we are used to seeing, and we are still seeing. So, you can also see how emotional he is, how much it means to him. Remember, he already won this World Cup. He already won a lot of trophies, a lot of Ballon d’Or, FIFA Player of the Year. Everything. I can sit here and just give his CV and… and it looks perfect, but he still wants it. He still wants it and that’s impressive. Look at him,” Zlatan said on Fox Sports.
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The dramatic comeback also brought another landmark for Messi. His assist for Cristian Romero was the ninth of his World Cup career, taking him past Diego Maradona for the most assists in the tournament’s history. It was yet another milestone for the Argentina captain, whose impact was once again felt when his team needed him most. From creating the first goal to scoring the equaliser, Messi played a decisive role in keeping Argentina’s World Cup title defence alive and sending them into the quarterfinals.
