Argentina built the perfect stage for Messi to bre...
Key takeaways
- Something more stylish was needed to mark the moment, and the gods of soccer agreed.
- The strike that broke the deadlock on the way to Argentina's 2-0 victory was entirely fitting.
- How is it that after so many years of frustration, 12 of Messi's World Cup goals have come after his 35th birthday?
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Something more stylish was needed to mark the moment, and the gods of soccer agreed. And so Argentina's Lionel Messi spurned the first chance to become the World Cup's all-time top scorer when he steered his penalty kick wide of the Austria goal, only to find a far more adequate means of reaching the milestone almost half an hour later.
The strike that broke the deadlock on the way to Argentina's 2-0 victory was entirely fitting. It was a collective move, coach Lionel Scaloni's side attacking in one of their familiar clusters; Messi, with the break, left to Thiago Almada, further left to Facundo Medina, the low square ball across the defense, the clever leave by Almada to allow an arriving Messi to sweep the ball flawlessly and seemingly effortlessly past the keeper.
How is it that after so many years of frustration, 12 of Messi's World Cup goals have come after his 35th birthday? It's because of moments like these, little collective jewels where gifted players combine to ease the task of the most gifted of all. That leave from Almada spoke volumes; it highlighted just why Argentina are so successful.