Argentina’s Lionel Messi swept home a trademark left-footed curler against Austria to become the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer at the age of 38.
The Inter Miami forward then added a second in a crowded six-yard box to wrap up a 2-0 victory, underlining his extraordinary impact on the tournament.
Messi had already netted a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening game, meaning his hunger for goals shows absolutely no signs of fading at this level.
He has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, a feat only previously achieved by France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho, both in 1958.
No player in the history of the tournament has ever managed to score in seven straight matches, and Messi faces Jordan next with a chance to rewrite history once again.
He is also one assist away from becoming the outright record holder for chances created at World Cups since records began in 1966, according to Opta, currently sharing that mark with his idol Diego Maradona.
Olivier Giroud, still playing in Ligue 1 himself at 39, believes Messi’s relentless internal drive is the defining factor behind his sustained excellence at the highest level.
“It’s clear just how passionate Messi still is for football and you can tell it’s in his DNA to always be a competitor, and to try and outdo himself more than anyone else,” Giroud says.
“Playing at a high level at our age, you have to pay close attention to your life hygiene – how you sleep, your diet, and taking care of your body, because that’s the thing you rely on for work.”
Sports psychologist Michael Caulfield, who has worked in professional football for more than 20 years, points to both physical and mental dedication as central to longevity at the elite level.
“From a physical point of view, they take advantage of every breakthrough in sports science,” Caulfield says, adding that mental resilience is equally crucial for ageing superstars.
“They have to maintain the sheer will to go through the rehab process after injuries when they know they’ve already won everything,” he explains, describing a mindset common to all elite athletes.
“It’s the same reason you still see Bruce Springsteen or Madonna touring – it is completely intrinsic to who these stars are,” Caulfield adds, drawing a vivid parallel between sporting and artistic greatness.
Wayne Rooney, who faced Messi in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals with Manchester United, admitted he had doubted the Argentine heading into this tournament.
“Coming into this World Cup, I pretty much wrote Argentina’s chances off because I didn’t think he could carry on [at that level] for another one,” Rooney says candidly.
“The one thing age can never take away from players is their ability with the ball. You put him around the penalty box and he has the ability to do things others can’t.”
Rooney even suggested that if Messi maintains this level throughout the tournament, an appearance at the next World Cup would not be beyond him.
Cesc Fabregas, his former Barcelona team-mate, described in the BBC iPlayer documentary Rivals: Messi vs Ronaldo how Messi transforms entirely once he crosses the white line.
“When he crosses the white line, he is a very different person,” Fabregas says. “He wants to win at any cost.”
Messi’s performances have drawn stark contrast with Cristiano Ronaldo, who is featuring in his sixth World Cup with Portugal at the age of 41 and made little impact in his side’s opening draw with DR Congo.
“Ronaldo will have been fuming,” Rooney says. “Even at 41 he will still be expecting to be top goalscorer. But that attitude is part of his own greatness.”
With the Golden Boot firmly in his sights and history already made, Messi continues to prove that the greatest player of his generation still belongs on the grandest stage of all.
