Lionel Messi has already conquered football, and for the first time in his career, he heads into a FIFA World Cup without the weight of unfinished business on his shoulders. By leading Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, Messi answered the one question that had followed him throughout his career and cemented his place at the top of the game’s all-time greats. The World Cup triumph effectively settled the GOAT debate for many, leaving him with little left to prove on the sport’s biggest stage.
Yet, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner remains as driven as ever. Argentina will once again look to their captain as they chase a feat no nation has achieved since Brazil successfully defended the World Cup in 1958 and 1962. Time and again, Messi has produced his finest football when the stakes have been highest. Apart from a disappointing 2018 campaign, he was the driving force behind Argentina’s runs to the finals in both 2014 and 2022, carrying the team through crucial moments and ultimately inspiring them to the title in Qatar.
His international journey, however, was far from straightforward. For years, Messi endured heartbreak after heartbreak, falling short in World Cup and Copa América finals. Questions over his legacy persisted until 2021, when he finally lifted his first major international trophy with Argentina, a breakthrough that paved the way for the crowning achievement of his career a year later.
Before the 2022 World Cup, one of the biggest criticisms aimed at Lionel Messi was his lack of goals in knockout matches on football’s grandest stage. The Argentina captain answered those doubts emphatically in Qatar, delivering when it mattered most. Messi found the net in every knockout round, the Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final, becoming the first player in World Cup history to achieve that feat in a single tournament.
The triumph in Qatar elevated Messi into a category of his own. Over the course of his career, he has won virtually every major honour available to a footballer, including domestic league titles, cup competitions, the UEFA Champions League, the Copa América and, ultimately, the World Cup. The long-awaited international success completed a trophy cabinet that was already among the most decorated in the sport.
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The contrast with his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo is often highlighted. Despite five World Cup appearances, Ronaldo has yet to lift the game’s most coveted trophy and will head into another campaign hoping to change that. Messi’s achievement is made even more remarkable when viewed alongside other legends of the game. Diego Maradona never won either the Champions League or the Copa America, while Pele, despite his extraordinary success with Brazil, never played club football in Europe.
Messi free from burden
The aura surrounding Lionel Messi will be different this time. Free from the burden of chasing a World Cup title, he is likely to play with even greater freedom and ruthlessness. At the same time, Messi understands better than anyone that he is approaching the final chapter of an extraordinary career, and his role within this Argentina side has evolved.
Unlike previous tournaments, Argentina no longer depend solely on Messi for goals. The presence of prolific forwards such as Lautaro Martínez and Julian Álvarez gives the reigning champions a reliable cutting edge in attack. That does not mean Messi’s influence has diminished. If anything, it has become even more important.
While he remains a lethal goalscorer, as evidenced by his prolific record in MLS, Argentina need him more as a creator than a finisher. The retirement of Angel Di María has left a creative void, and the midfield has not looked quite as fluid as it did during the team’s peak years. Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes are no longer competing at the highest level in European football, while Alexis Mac Allister has not consistently hit the standards he set in previous seasons.
In that context, Messi’s vision, passing range and ability to dictate the tempo of matches could once again prove decisive in Argentina’s quest to defend their crown.
Argentina will arrive at the World Cup as the top-ranked team in the FIFA rankings, but they will not be considered the most complete side on paper. France, Spain and Portugal arguably possess greater depth and balance across their squads. What sets Argentina apart, however, is their ability to function as a collective.
That unity was the foundation of their 2022 World Cup triumph. Every player embraced a role and contributed to helping Lionel Messi achieve the one trophy that had eluded him throughout his career. Four years later, the challenge is different. Argentina are no longer chasing history; they are defending it. The reigning champions now have an opportunity to prove that their success in Qatar was not a one-off but the mark of a truly great team. While several stars will be expected to step up, Messi remains the heartbeat of the side. His leadership, creativity and ability to deliver in decisive moments could once again be the key to Argentina’s hopes of retaining the World Cup.
