Published: 10:10 AM, 20 June 2026
The Football World Witnessed a New Version of Messi!
If Messi continues to enter the remaining group-stage matches with the same hunger for goals and the same relentless desire to win-and if he can sustain that level through the knockout rounds, another World Cup triumph is not beyond imagination. -Facebook
Before Messi stepped onto the pitch against Algeria, I was listening to 'True North', a song from the latest album by my favorite Norwegian band from my teenage years, A-ha.
Time may have passed, but the band's lead singer, Morten Harket, seems almost unchanged. Actually Morten brought Lionel Messi to mind. I was listening to the song primarily to calm myself. I needed that moment of meditation.The reason was simple.
On the same day, Norway were in action, and ErlingHaaland had already scored twice against Iraq and came close to completing a hat-trick. Once again, Messi would be asked to prove his greatness against a new generation represented by Haaland, KylianMbappé, and LamineYamal.
Personally, I never wanted Messi to play in this World Cup. His immortality had already been secured in 2022. After ascending to footballing divinity, I questioned the need for him to return and compete once more against younger talents. What if the outcome resembled the disappointments of 2010 or 2018? Those who neither understand football nor appreciate greatness, along with blind supporters of rival nations-would have seized the opportunity to ridicule him.
Yet Messi accepted the risk for one reason alone, his pure love for football. The moment the ball reaches his feet, Messi transforms back into that seven-year-old boy from Rosario. His body may now be 38 years old, but the child who once walked onto the field holding the hand of his grandmother, Celia Oliveira, is still there.
He still dribbles toward goal with the same joy, still delivers breathtaking passes that leave teammates with the simplest of finishes.This adapted version of Messi is one of football's greatest wonders.
Just as scientists studied Albert Einstein's brain after his death, football analysts, coaches, and scholars around the world will spend years studying Messi once he finally retires. They will want to understand how one player continuously reinvented his game across two decades and remained capable of competing with players more than a decade younger while maintaining elite performance at 38 years of age. That, in itself, is a unique chapter in football history.
Perhaps Messi will not score a hat-trick in every match ahead. Perhaps he will not dominate every game with the same authority. But Algeria's goalkeeper, Luca Zidane, son of the legendary ZinedineZidane, will forever be able to testify to the greatness he witnessed with his own eyes.
The defeat may hurt today, but hopefully it will become a source of strength and motivation for him in the future.
If Messi continues to enter the remaining group-stage matches with the same hunger for goals and the same relentless desire to win-and if he can sustain that level through the knockout rounds, another World Cup triumph is not beyond imagination.
Every team has weaknesses. Even this Argentina side has its own Achilles' heel. Messi knows that better than anyone. That is why the rest of the squad must rise to the occasion, just as they did in 2022. They must stay healthy, avoid injuries, and maintain their collective spirit. I trust coach Lionel Scaloni.
If Argentina's chemistry remains intact, the football world may be forced to surrender one final time to the genius beneath Messi's boots. And if that happens, those of us who have followed Messi's journey will remain calm, humble, and grateful.
For now, our task is simple. To watch Messi with both eyes wide open. To enjoy him.To savor every moment.And simply to enjoy him while we still can.
(Writer: Author of 'Messi!', a biography of Lionel Messi published in 2022)
>>Mirajul Islam
