Messi’s slow steps in the match make the sprints at important moments even more special.

At age 35, “El Pulga” is mentally tough and adept at maintaining his physical fitness for 90 minutes. In order to gain space, No. 10 took deliberate steps. He then received Di Maria’s pass, scored, and gave millions of Argentine supporters hope.

Several of the principles of contemporary football are at odds with Messi’s style of play. No player made more trips to the pitch at the 2022 World Cup than Argentina’s captain. By blending with the play style that gradually finds rhythm with the surrounding satellites of coach Lionel Scaloni, Messi transforms the illogic of football into an art.

Play the style of lulling the opponent

Messi had concerns about an ankle ailment as he visited the Lusail Stadium. No. 10 completes the pass practice, performs a warm-up run, and has a 3-man match instead of participating in the ghost drill. Scaloni is well aware that he should avoid putting his shining star at risk of another injury just before the crucial battle against Mexico.

Messi was not as aggressive in ball situations prior to the opponent’s aggressive playing style; this allowed him to determine the best attack strategy. Throughout the entire game, No. 10 touched the ball just once inside the opponent’s box. Messi like to play near the center of the field, away from the penalty area. “El Pulga” connected the satellites in the area successfully, but for the first 45 minutes, it was unable to produce a blast point.

It is the endurance needed in a competitive situation. Messi is continuously rolling his eyes to figure out how to manipulate the opposition if we only watch him play and ignore what is going on around the ball. The captain ended the first half in a somewhat tranquil manner. As Argentina supporters begged for a miracle, Messi gathered enough information to wait for his chance in the second half.

The impatience of the fans is in stark contrast to the proactive and slow way of controlling the ball of Argentina. The ball rotation phase of “Albiceleste” became even more elegant when they knew that the opponent had received many yellow cards and only knew how to use a large number of players to protect the goal. There is a gap between the defense and midfield, and it is a pity for Mexico that this is Messi’s favorite area.

While Messi concentrated on the enormous area in front of him, the Mexican players concentrated on the ball. It was already too late for Hector Herrera to know who the most dangerous player on the other team was. Messi made a fantastic catch of the ball to enable Ochoa’s left-footed shot, which went straight into the bottom corner.

Argentina is better able to increase the match’s speed thanks to the advantage of the lead. With Messi’s team, everything moves slowly on the field. After the corner combo, the captain decided to pass the ball, not the ball, to Enzo Fernandez. The 21-year-subsequent old’s shot ended any chance of points for Mexico.

Tango feet in harmony with the rhythm

“Argentina played the kind of football we wanted in the second half. Having control of the game, having more time with the ball helped me find a lot of space between the midfield and the defence.” Those are the sharings of Messi after the performance of winning the title of ‘Player of the match’.

Looking at the way Messi plays, viewers feel the calm and lightness in every move. Messi does not need to follow the rhythm of the game. He chooses his own speed to explоde at the most important moment. That is the terrifying dɑnger of “El Pulga” at the age of 35.

Messi decides to perfect his legacy in Qatar by doing so slowly but surely. The Tango legs eventually found the rhythm with the same tenacity when cornered after a sluggish beginning. Scaloni is well aware of this, and as the 2022 World Cup’s youngest head coach, he has been successful in making adjustments following the team’s opening-game defeat.

Argentina and Poland will square off in the championship game for the top spot. Lewandowski and his teammates will depend on the outcome of the game at the same time to determine the fate of “Albiceleste” if they score a point. When it comes to bringing the World Cup back to Argentina after a 36-year absence, Messi does not want to be dependent on anyone. With Messi, the World Cup officially kicks off now.