It was a night of history and restrain as Lionel Messi did it again. This time round it was history that was being rewritten.
The Argentina captain became the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer on Monday. It was achieved on a 2-0 win over Austria on Monday.
He did not celebrate loudly as he rarely does now but instead, the moment came with a quiet sense of relief and a remainder that even greatness can feel heavy.
Messi‘s Early penalty miss and then Redemption
His night did not begin smoothly as Argentina were awarded an early penalty but Messi sent it wide in the Eighth minute. The response came later and with force in the 38th minute.
Messi struck cleanly from the edge of the box as the ball flew past Austria keeper Alexander Schlager to match and pass the all time World Cup goal top scorer which was set by Miroslav Klose.
He then scored one more goal in the 95th minute to secure Argentina’s 2-0 win. Lionel Messi moved two goals clear Miroslav Klose’s long standing record.
Personal Burden Quietly Carried
Messi’s achievement carried emotion beyond football. Messi had spoken after his earlier hat-trick about difficult days. he did not go into details about thr matter.
Lionel Messi when asked how many World Cup goals he can reach, “I am tired now, I’m not thinking about that. I just want to enjoy the win with my teammates”.
Soon after, his family confirmed that his father Jorge Messi was unwell as they also asked for privacy amid circulating rumors. The Argentina captain played on regardless and his focus remained on the pitch.
Messi’s hat-trick earlier in the tournament had drawn attention from public and fellow players as it was described by Austria captain David Alaba as ”insane” in terms of quality and timing given the oppositions strength.
After the Record What Comes Next
As Messi is now turning 39 later this week is the leading top scorer in World Cup history and continues to shape matches at the highest level and is giving football its pure definition.
Argentina continue their campaign with momentum as expectations remain high. For Messi the message after the final whistle was simple, no statements, no celebration beyond the team.
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