As Lionel Messi enters the twilight of his legendary profession, one defining query looms: Can he nonetheless lead Argentina to glory but once more on the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Whereas the 38-year-old continues to dazzle in MLS with Inter Miami, the competitors he faces week in and week out would not all the time match the depth or technical high quality of the worldwide stage. That is why the FIFA Club World Cup — the place Miami confronted elite opponents from Europe and South America — supplied a glimpse into how Messi performs proper now in opposition to elite defenders, and what it means for his function together with his nationwide crew subsequent summer time.
ESPN’s Lizzy Becherano and Tim Vickery discover how Messi’s function has developed, and what Miami and Argentina are doing to protect his affect forward of subsequent 12 months’s event.
Messi’s evolution at membership stage
Months after making his debut for Barcelona on Oct. 16, 2004, Messi scored his first senior aim off a Ronaldinho help, turning into the membership’s youngest-ever scorer on the time. Since then, the Argentine ahead has gone on to interrupt most main data, set new requirements, and redefine the sport of soccer.
Messi first shocked the world in 2007 in a sport in opposition to Espanyol when he gained possession of the ball in his personal half earlier than dancing and dribbling his means by way of a number of defenders to achieve the ultimate third and rating. He defied expectations as an explosive, left-footed proper winger who would lower by way of the center to create what appeared like inconceivable probabilities for others.
Former Barcelona supervisor Pep Guardiola then redefined the that means and function of a standard striker, turning Messi right into a “false 9” and tapping into his potential, which might see him overcome just about any opponent. Messi’s bodily capacities, mixed together with his distinctive imaginative and prescient of the sport, would rapidly see the participant change into one of many biggest within the historical past of the game.
His talents with Barcelona did not initially translate to fast success for the Argentina nationwide crew, as coaches struggled to make the most of Messi’s abilities. However every thing modified underneath supervisor Lionel Scaloni. La Albiceleste now not trusted the captain to do all of it, however as a substitute created a help system for Messi to have the ability to shine within the ultimate third.
Now, at 38, his method to enjoying has matured, however the potential to have an effect on any sport stays.
At Inter Miami, the membership continues to discover a technique to capitalize on Messi’s abilities without subjecting his body to any physical overload. The MLS calendar runs from February to December, with 34 regular-season video games and a monthlong-plus playoff marketing campaign if a crew qualifies for the ultimate. This 12 months, Miami and Messi additionally participated within the Concacaf Champions Cup, the FIFA Membership World Cup, and can take part within the upcoming Leagues Cup, which begins in late July.
And whereas most of Messi’s membership matches now are available in MLS, the place he usually faces much less stress and depth, the Membership World Cup offered a sharper lens. Going through groups just like the defending UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain — and beforehand FC Porto and Palmeiras — allowed Messi to measure himself in opposition to defenders extra akin to what he’ll see in a World Cup knockout stage.
Miami head coach Javier Mascherano retains a detailed eye on Messi’s minutes and rests him at occasions in video games with decrease stakes within the MLS common season. Individually, Messi tailored his fashion to maximise his affect on the sphere and protect sufficient vitality to shine when wanted.
His ability set hasn’t modified, however how Messi makes use of his biggest belongings has developed. The participant now relies upon extra on his exact learn of the sport to offer a wonderfully timed help and his potential to discover a pocket of house to attain. Although Messi’s facility to weave by way of a backline and into the ultimate third is perhaps seen at a slower tempo, it continues to be simply as efficient.
Statistically, Messi’s transformation is simple to hint — as is the latitude afforded him by subpar MLS defenses.
On the Membership World Cup, he averaged 5.5 meters traveled per carry, a determine that is down from 6.1 meters per carry in MLS play. That 5.5 determine is essentially according to what Messi produced in his ultimate seasons in Europe (5.2 with PSG in 2022-23, 5.7 with Barcelona in 2020-21), whereas the 6.1 mark recollects Messi’s affect on the top of his powers, when he averaged 6.2 meters per carry in 2011-12.
His take-on makes an attempt per 90 observe the same sample. His common of 4.5 on this Membership World Cup is down considerably in comparison with 2011-12, when he averaged 9.1 at his explosive peak, however his 7.99 per 90 in MLS play illustrates the alternatives with the ball at his toes offered to him by league opposition. When going through sterner competitors, we will see a transparent shift away from dribbling and extra towards environment friendly motion and playmaking.
On the similar time, his attacking-third passes per 90 have declined from 35.6 in 2011-12 with Barcelona to simply 13.0 within the Membership World Cup, not attributable to decreased involvement, however relatively a extra selective and exact method. That quantity rises to 24.3 in his home play in 2025.
Messi could now not dominate with fixed movement, however his potential to choose the proper second and make the proper choice stays intact, nonetheless being decisive in opposition to high-level opponents.
Supply: TruMedia
In modifying his sport, Messi can really feel a way of ache or muscular stress and proceed to be scientific together with his left foot. When going through Porto within the second group-stage game within the Membership World Cup, Mascherano confirmed the participant felt discomfort all through the match however insisted on remaining on the pitch to play. In doing so, Messi was in a position to rating the successful aim off a set piece by rocketing the ball into the higher proper nook of the online, as followers have seen quite a few occasions earlier than.
“We will say he is the most effective participant to have ever performed this sport, however his want to win is stunning, as a result of [against Porto], even within the ultimate minutes, drained and injured, he continued to assist the crew get the consequence,” Mascherano mentioned. “We’ve got to carry onto that and know that having him offers us a bonus, and we have now to catch his spirit.”
Even injured, Messi can rely on the precision of his left foot.
He continued to be efficient within the spherical of 16 in opposition to PSG, showcasing moments of his developed sport within the second half earlier than being eradicated from the competitors with a 4-0 defeat. Messi dribbled previous PSG gamers in an try to arrange Tadeo Allende and Luis Suárez for the aim, however his teammates could not capitalize on the help from the Argentine.
His potential to weave by way of gamers to achieve the ultimate third can nonetheless stun even the reigning champions of Europe, however he wanted assist. — Becherano
Messi’s evolution for Argentina
So, what extra chapters are left on this extraordinary story?
Is it even doable that Sunday’s 4-0 loss to PSG within the spherical of 16 of the Membership World Cup was the final time we see Messi in a serious event? There’s nonetheless no official affirmation that he’ll play subsequent 12 months’s World Cup.
The road has all the time been “wait and see,” with the participant needing to verify to himself that he’ll have the ability to do himself justice in 2026. There are few higher measuring rods than a knockout sport in opposition to the reigning European champion.
It’s unreasonable to anticipate a 38-year-old to have the ability to carry out at his earlier peak. Within the race between time and the athlete, there’s solely ever one winner.
Two-and-a-half years have handed for the reason that World Cup in Qatar, and we’re unlikely to see Messi persistently attain that stage. However the Membership World Cup has proven that he can nonetheless affect the course of occasions, dropping deep to regulate the rhythm of the sport, nearer to aim with a sudden surge of acceleration and naturally, these free kicks when he virtually appears to choose up the ball and place it within the high nook of the aim.
The possibilities are that Argentina and Scaloni can nonetheless discover a technique to ensure that Messi performs an element within the subsequent World Cup.
The connection between Argentina’s coach and the captain has been nothing in need of exceptional. Scaloni took the job on a caretaker foundation after the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He was seen as a cheap stop-gap, however he got here in, with subsequent to no expertise behind him, stuffed with ambition. He had been extremely influenced by then-world champion France and introduced his intention to usher in a brand new fashion, primarily based on quick transitions. His facet would win the ball and be ready to shoot inside three or 4 seconds.
It hardly appeared an concept sufficient for a Messi facet, and it started disastrously within the 2019 Copa América. It may have all gone improper, however Scaloni had the nice fortune to rely on a brand new Messi.
In battle on the time with Barcelona, Messi appeared to make the Argentina nationwide crew his high precedence. What did he want to vary? There had lengthy been a sense that his aloof method had an intimidating impact on the remainder of the squad. However in 2019, there was a giant distinction.
Reporters who cowl the crew famous that he had remodeled right into a vocal chief and inspiring presence. Argentina lost to Brazil within the semifinals, but it surely emerged from the Copa with the sketch of a crew, in each a tactical and a psychological sense.
The crew had change into possession-based, carrying down the opposition and giving the ball to Messi the place he may do essentially the most injury, near aim. They usually lined up virtually like Messi and his fan membership. The others had a reverence for him and may do no matter it took to provide him a platform to take the crew to victory.
On the ultimate whistle of the 2021 Copa América, when Messi had finally won a senior title for his nation, the whole squad ran to him to have fun, and, after all, the team had an even bigger prize to celebrate on the finish of the next 12 months.
The Qatar World Cup was a masterclass of Scaloni’s tinkering, altering the system relying on the opposition, and making personnel modifications. The modifications had been designed to assist the principle concept keep the identical, to assist Argentina get the most effective from Messi. The crew quickly found that the event could be laborious work, and that it could not have the majority of possession it had imagined.
So Lautaro Martínez needed to give means at heart ahead for Julián Álvarez, a striker with the soul of a midfielder who may do all of Messi’s working for him.
However what now? Is it nonetheless worthwhile making so many sacrifices for the advantage of one participant?
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Burley: If not for Messi, Inter Miami would not be at Membership World Cup
Craig Burley responds to Jordi Alba’s post-match interview after Inter Miami had been brushed apart 4-0 by PSG.
The worst second that Argentina has endured since Qatar got here at a second of historic triumph. In November 2023, Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 on the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, the primary time Brazil had ever misplaced a World Cup qualifier at residence. In reality, the consequence was higher than the efficiency. And there was an additional motive for Scaloni to fret. True, Messi was not 100% match, however he made little impression — one thing that might have been unthinkable a few years earlier — and he was substituted with quarter-hour to go.
Within the postmatch information convention, Scaloni flirted with the idea of resigning. The reason was easy: Scaloni had constructed his crew round Messi and was starting to surprise if that formulation nonetheless labored.
However time has a means of turning the unthinkable into the doable. And simply because the Copa América tournaments of 2019 and 2021 had been vital in cementing a bond between Messi and the crew, so too the 2024 event hinted at a future with out him.
Within the second half of the final in opposition to Colombia, he pulled up with an damage and was substituted. Arguably, Argentina improved in his absence and went on to win the match.
Scaloni has had the chance to take a look at methods of establishing his facet with out Messi. The primary possibility was to play Álvarez and Martínez collectively, with Álvarez dropping into the Messi slot, which was the blueprint when Argentina beat Chile 3-0 last September. Extra just lately, Scaloni has gone with Álvarez at heart ahead, combining with Thiago Almada reducing in from the left as a playmaker.
This was how again in March, Argentina won away in opposition to Uruguay after which produced a powerful show to brush Brazil aside 4-1. For the group, with out taking away any of its reverence for Messi, it was a large psychological enhance to win so effectively with out him.
And Messi, too, appears proud of this state of affairs. Again for the June FIFA dates, he got here off the bench in the visit to Chile, and was taken off within the second half at home to Colombia, when simply after he had been withdrawn, Almada scored the equalizing aim.
The dynamic has modified. It is now not only a case of Messi and his fan membership. His followers have grown up and are able to tackle extra duty. And it is this very confidence in his personal teammates — the data that it is now not all as much as him — that makes it extra probably that Messi will spherical off his World Cup profession with one other crack at glory subsequent 12 months. — Vickery