Helped by perfect teammates, Messi is running the clock back to 2012 at the World Cup

From record to record. And always surpassing the Germans. Because on June 22, 2026, the victim was Miroslav Klose and 14 years ago, it was Gerd Muller. With a tally sheet in hand, Lionel Messi celebrates his 39th birthday by adding one goal after another.

Of his 18 goals in 28 World Cup matches, 10 have come in the last six, spanning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the current tournament. Even though he wasn’t born a centre forward, no one is as decisive as him in the final third. 

His understanding of the game allows him to find the best position in any situation, even if he often prefers to start from the right and cut inside. 

While in the last World Cup, he sometimes started as the right winger in a front three, like in the final against France, now he’s increasingly playing as a second striker in a 4-4-2, linking up with the main forward. Lionel Scaloni has clearly understood that, at his age, Messi needs to be used where he can do the most damage - just behind the strikers.

Just like in 2012

The 2012 calendar year was a true dream for the then striker and symbol of Barcelona. After previous years when Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had occupied the central attacking role, he was given total freedom of movement.

From January to December, he managed to score 91 goals in total - 79 with the Blaugrana and 12 with the national team. With players like David Villa and Pedro on the wings, and an Alexis Sanchez who never quite found the right tactical fit at Barcelona, Messi was the alpha and omega of the Catalans’ play.

Fifty years after Gerd Müller’s record of 85 goals in the 1972 calendar year, a new page in the record books was written. To that, Messi also added 24 assists.

Moreover, even back then, partly thanks to the departure of a coach obsessed with tactical order like Pep Guardiola, the Argentine began to feel freer from defensive duties, playing closer to the opponent’s goal and becoming a highly effective hybrid between a number 10 and a number 9. Many of his goals were true poacher’s finishes, something seen less frequently after the arrival in the summer of 2014 of a centre forward like Luis Suarez. 

World-class finisher

Even though he scored seven goals in the 2022 edition, at 39 years old La Pulga seems to be experiencing his best scoring form ever with the national team. Five goals in two matches, with one missed penalty, show just how crucial he is in front of goal for Argentina.

Lautaro Martinez is standing out more for his hold-up play and for creating space for Messi, as well as drawing defenders into central areas. Julian Alvarez, on the other hand, is coming back from injury and still doesn’t look as sharp as he did in the spring, when with Atletico Madrid he nearly reached the Champions League final.

In his sixth World Cup, Messi is the philosopher’s stone for Argentina, more than ever before. Now, his work in midfield can be less exhausting, thanks to the presence of Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister, and on the flanks, the running of Rodrigo De Paul and the flair of Thiago Almada guarantee him quick outlets that keep the play fresh.

The reality is this: the level of play of the Argentine team is so harmonious that the Rosario native can use most of his energy in the final 30 meters. 

All his goals in this World Cup have come from central positions, more or less close to the goal. And the last one against Austria is reminiscent of those he scored when he was Barcelona’s roaming centre forward under Tito Vilanova: determination and a bit of luck with deflections, plus an enormous desire to score - like a kid in the park.

Because if there’s one thing Messi has kept at 39, it’s the enthusiasm of a child. Now, compared to when he was 25 and breaking every record, his Argentina is a real team. And what makes the difference are his extraordinary teammates.