Lionel Messi has very little left to prove in his career, but the iconic Argentine forward gearing up for another World Cup is like Tom Brady running it back for three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There are records within reach, and then there is the unending desire for competition.
Messi will become the first man to play in six World Cups when he leads Argentina into the first round of their 2022 title defense Tuesday against Algeria in Group J play in Kansas City, Mo.
“There had been doubts because of what I said at the previous World Cup. That I thought it would be difficult for me to play in another one, because so many years had to pass,” Messi said this month, per the Mirror.
“But I kept feeling good and taking things day by day. I had the opportunity to play, get into rhythm, get minutes on the pitch and gradually feel better. It happened naturally. I’m happy, enjoying every moment and now I’m also as excited as ever.”
Messi scored seven goals in Qatar in 2022, and he put up a brace and potted the first of Argentina’s four straight made penalty kicks to deliver a memorable win over France in the final, bringing home the nation’s first Cup since 1986. Messi became the first player to win the World Cup’s Golden Ball twice (following 2014).
Since then, Messi moved stateside to play for Inter Miami, where he’s won Major League Soccer MVP awards and a league title. He left Miami’s final match before the World Cup break with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring, but he’s since recovered and came off the bench to score in a friendly against Iceland.
Messi will turn 39 next week, so this is widely expected to be his World Cup farewell. Not only will he beat Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo by mere hours as the first to feature in six World Cups, he also needs four goals this tournament to break German legend Miroslav Klose’s career record of 16.
Coach Lionel Scaloni can field the exact same lineup from the 2022 final with the exception of forward Angel di Maria. Argentina don’t lack for forward options, as Lautaro Martinez is expected to play a bigger role this time around. Their defense is backstopped by Emiliano Martinez, a two-time Best FIFA Goalkeeper recipient.
Argentina were stunned 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their 2022 opener before running the table, and Algeria hope to create a similar surprise this time around.
This will be Algeria’s fifth World Cup, and at their last appearance in 2014, they advanced to the knockout stage for the first time. It’s a toss-up whether Algeria or Austria is the second-favorite to Argentina in Group J.
Mohamed Amoura led all players in Confederation of African Football qualifiers with 10 goals, one more than Egypt star Mohamed Salah. There’s also Bayer Leverkusen’s 20-year-old prospect Ibrahim Maza, who is brimming with confidence.
“We have to have a good World Cup, and the first match against Argentina will be very important. They provoke a lot, but we have to keep our calm, give it our all, play smart and see what happens,” Maza told Goal.com, before adding, “We are going to beat Messi, Inshallah.”
–Group I, France vs. Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J.: Argentina aren’t the only recent champions opening play Tuesday. Winners in 2018, France aim to make their third straight World Cup final behind Kylian Mbappe (eight goals in 2022). They begin play in a difficult group vs. Sadio Mane and Senegal, who would be Africa Cup of Nations champs were it not for a controversial decision to strip them of the title and award it to Morocco.
–Group I, Iraq vs. Norway in Foxborough, Mass.: Tuesday also marks the World Cup debut of goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland, who racked up 16 goals to guide Norway to a perfect 8-0-0 record in European qualifying. Iraq made their first World Cup since 1986 behind former Australia coach Graham Arnold.
–Group J, Austria vs. Jordan in Santa Clara, Calif.: Ranked 24th in the world, Austria make their first appearance since 1998 but lost top player Christoph Baumgartner to a pre-tournament thigh muscle injury. Jordan make their World Cup debut behind Mousa Al-Tamari, called the “Jordanian Messi.”
–Field Level Media
