Argentina is just two days from making history, trying to be the first team since Pelé’s Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive World Cup trophies. And you know who is leading the charge, right? Lionel Messi, the guy who’s still blowing minds at 39 years old, is front and center as La Albiceleste gets ready to face Spain at MetLife Stadium this Sunday.
Messi Is Still Ducking the Spotlight
Messi was out there in New York City on Friday, helicoptering over the Hudson River, chilling with actor Kevin Hart, NFL legend Tom Brady, and tennis star Novak Djokovic at the Javits Center. Fans were losing it, shouting their love and holding up phones like it was a rock concert, but Messi? He just waved sheepishly, almost apologizing for the attention. That’s our guy! The dude never loved the spotlight, actually preferred to hide from it. He even ducked out of the official FIFA news conference at the Javits Center, sending goalkeeper Emi Martínez in his place. You know he’d rather do his talking with those magical feet.
Better Than Ever, According to His Coach
Seriously, Messi’s been “better than ever” at this World Cup. Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni said he’s “the best footballer the world has seen,” calling it “unbelievable” that Messi is still reaching a final at 39. Scaloni even compared it to enjoying Diego Maradona back in the day, saying, “Messi is still with us. He is the legend, and together with this group he has brought us these wonderful years.” Argentina’s been on this stage before, too, with this being their third championship appearance in four World Cups. They lost in 2014 to Germany but crushed it four years ago, beating France in a shootout after a wild 3-3 draw through 120 minutes in Qatar. Messi is even tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé for the scoring lead, both with eight goals, but Messi’s got the edge with one more assist, which is huge for the Golden Boot race.
So, what’s Sunday going to bring? Argentina has a shot at back-to-back World Cups, and Messi has a chance at the Golden Boot and is a favorite for the Golden Ball. This could be his farewell from the World Cup stage, though Scaloni himself isn’t even sure. He just said, “Ask him. I don’t have the foggiest idea, to be honest. He doesn’t stop surprising us.” Get ready, because the entire world is watching to see if the GOAT can pull off one more unbelievable moment.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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