Lionel Messi is on the right track at his last World Cup: After a weak start, the Argentine national team has long since arrived in the tournament. The superstar has his eye on the world title again - and with it a "German" record.
After Argentina's first game at the World Cup in Qatar, there was excitement in the country of the two-time world champion, in parts panic: 1: 2 the start went wrong, football dwarf Saudi Arabia brought Lionel Messi's team with a double strike after the Pause at the edge of the preliminary round. And thus close to a national catastrophe. But with a nervous win against Mexico and a commanding success over Poland, the favorites for the title quickly repaired the sensational bankruptcy. At the latest since the not outstanding, but nevertheless successful round of 16 against Australia (2:1), they are back on course: Argentina is in the quarterfinals.
Lionel Messi is largely responsible for this: he scored his first goal in the knockout round against the "Socceroos" in his fifth World Cup, so the 35-year-old now has three goals in Qatar. Messi's left-footed shot put Argentina ahead against underdogs Australia, surpassing Diego Maradona, who has scored eight times at the World Cup during his distinguished career.
Messi, whose career in the Albiceleste was ill-fated until last year when he led his country to victory in the Copa America for the first time in decades, now put his personal stats at nine. Argentina scored the most World Cup goals - as of now - but someone else: Gabriel Batistuta, contemporary witness and congenial goalscorer at Maradona's side, scored ten times in 1986, 1990 and 1994. The "eternal" record seems unattainable even for a Lionel Messi: Miroslav Klose scored 16 goals in his four World Cup appearances between 2002 and 2014. Messi, perhaps the best player of his time, who scored 94 times in 169 international matches for the Albiceleste, has three more games at most to wrest his record from Klose. "Will this be my last World Cup? Yes, of course," the Argentine superstar announced before the start of the tournament.
On the other hand, Messi would like to take another "German" record with him - and it is also within sight: With 25 games at World Cup finals, Germany's record international Lothar Matthäus is the sole record holder in this category. Messi made his 22nd World Cup appearance for Argentina in the 2-0 win against Poland, and now he has 23 before the quarter-finals. With the game against the Netherlands on Friday (8 p.m.), "La Pulga" draws level with Miroslav Klose and leaves Italy Legend Paolo Maldini behind. Reaching the semi-finals would guarantee a healthy Lionel Messi two more duels in Qatar. The final on December 18 would be Messi's 26th World Cup game. It would be a new record for eternity.
(This article was first published on Monday, December 05, 2022.)
