Messi's Final Dance—Can the 38-Year-Old Veteran Still Carry the Whole Match?

This is very likely to be Messi's last World Cup. At 38, competing in his sixth World Cup, he becomes the first male player in history to participate in six World Cups. Last time, he led the team to victory, filling in the last piece of his career puzzle. This time, all he wants to do is—one more time.

This season, Messi has played 14 matches for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, contributing 12 goals and 7 assists. Although not at his peak, his form remains quite good while playing in the United States. Scaloni also said before the match, "Messi has always played a crucial role in the team, and his current form looks very good." He suffered a minor injury at the end of last month but has already recovered.

However, Argentine legend Belon poured cold water: "Expecting Messi to play every minute is unrealistic; he should actively seek help." That makes sense. At 38, after seven high-intensity matches, playing full time in every game is unrealistic. Scaloni must learn to substitute Messi at the right times, even if only to protect him.

Algeria will definitely focus on guarding Messi. Their coach, Pektovic, is no fool; he will surely assign someone to closely mark him, preventing him from turning or shooting. But for a player of Messi's caliber, even if three people are assigned to him, he can still find passing lanes through the gaps. As long as Messi is on the field, Argentina's offense will always have hope.

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