Magis Lionel Messi Not Fade, His Latest Version is Always the Best Version

JAKARTA - At the age of 39, Lionel Messi's magic on the field is not over. La Pulga again makes football lovers mesmerized by his performance.

Lionel Messi started his journey with Argentina at the 2026 World Cup with a spectacular one. Lionel Scaloni's team immediately slaughtered Algeria 3-0 in the Group J match at the Kansas City Stadium, Wednesday (17/6/2026) morning WIB. Messi was the star by scoring a hat-trick against Luca Zidane, the son of Real Madrid and France legend Zinedine Zidane.

His additional three goals brought La Pulga to equal Miroslav Klose's record as the top scorer in World Cup history, with a total of 16 goals. Messi reached the figure after participating in the world's biggest football event six times.

However, Messi's appearance in Kansas City is more than just statistics. The former Barcelona player's performance successfully enchanted football fans, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"Don't believe we'll get another Messi, because he's special. He's a natural talent. It's as if this game was created for him. Everything he touches turns to gold. He also has a team that is ready to die for him," said former AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic, quoted by FOX Sports.

The debate about Lionel Messi's rightful place in football history ended in 2022, when he led Argentina to World Cup glory in an epic final against France.

Not only ending the long wait for the Argentine people to win the World Cup trophy, he also closed the year as the best player of the tournament. Messi's string of awards, both individually and collectively with clubs and national teams, as well as his magical playing style, make La Pulga look different from other players. He is said to be at a level that other players will not catch up with.

Messi has won a series of major trophies with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Inter Miami, and Argentina. But his hunger never stops. Messi is still Argentina's best player, and even though he is no longer young, he remains the biggest threat to opponents.

Beyond his incredible goals and assists, Lionel Messi's evolution is the most interesting thing to talk about lately. His ability to stay at the forefront, and his unparalleled football intelligence allow him to remain dominant even as the sport evolves into a bigger, stronger, and more athletic game.

Messi is surrounded by great players, but he is still better because he has never been the same player for too long. When he was 16, La Pulga made his debut with Barcelona in a friendly match against Jose Mourinho's Porto. He was an explosive right winger. His main weapon was the ability to cut with his left foot.

This ability immediately caught the attention of Ronaldinho. The Brazilian legend, who at that time was the best player in the world, believed that this young player would surpass him. And in 2005, after the match against Juventus in the Joan Gamper Trophy, Fabio Capello was so fascinated that he reportedly wanted to marry La Pulga.

But as Messi matured, coaches realized that letting him stay on the sidelines would only waste his growing influence. Frank Rijkaard, Barcelona's coach at the time, said that the more often Messi touched the ball, the better it was for the team.

Then when Pep Guardiola came in 2008, he initially put Messi on the right side but soon realized the limitations of the defense in his tactical setup. "The first time Guardiola decided to move Messi from the wing position was for defensive reasons," notes an expert analysis from BBC Sport.

Arguably, this is the precursor that eventually changed the history of this sport.

The most crucial turning point in Messi's tactical journey occurred on May 2, 2009. Santiago Bernabeu witnessed how magical La Pulga successfully defeated Real Madrid 6-2. At that time, Guardiola shifted Samuel Eto'o to the right side, Thierry Henry to the left. Lionel Messi was placed as the spearhead of the attack line, but his task was not as a traditional striker. Guardiola gave him the role of 'false nine'. La Pulga received special instructions, namely to go backwards, pick up the ball, and make decisions.

Not long after that, Messi's name again attracted attention. He broke Edvin van der Sar's goal with a header after receiving a pass from Xavi Hernandez to seal a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League final.

"I didn't really pay attention to tactics before. But with Guardiola, I learned a lot. I started to understand about space, ball possession, and how the game of football actually goes," Messi told journalist Pablo Varsky in 2024.

Playing as a false nine, he forced the opposing centre-back to make an impossible decision: defend and give him space, or follow him and give a gap for other players, like Thierry Henry.

It was a period where pure attacking play dominated and saw Messi lead Barcelona to Champions League glory twice in three years.

This version of Messi has set many records, among which he scored 96 goals in 69 La Liga appearances between 2011 and 2013. He was an important figure in the team that glorified ball possession, and won four consecutive Ballon d'Or.

When the legendary duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta left Camp Nou, Messi was forced to evolve. He was no longer a finisher, but more of a driving machine for the whole team.

In his final years with Barcelona until finally moving to Paris Saint-Germain, he transitioned as anengancheatau liaison.

He played with going much further back, positioning himself more as a main attack organizer, balancing goal-scoring productivity with the ability to create opportunities at the elite level.

And, this is reflected in his statistics in the 2019-2020 season, when he carved out 22 assists and 25 goals.

When in France, his assist record was extraordinary. For the first time in his club career, Messi scored more assists than goals in one season. He bagged 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 appearances in all competitions. An Argentine analyst called Messi a goal scorer turned into Iniesta. He successfully transitioned from a player who finished attacks to a player who dictated the entire rhythm of the game.

Even though his physical speed in his youth began to fade, his ability to think in processing the game has reached a level where he is always one step ahead of his opponent.

Before finally being worshiped like they are now, the Argentine people once mocked Messi. Three times in a row failed in the final match of the major tournament, the 2014 World Cup lost to Germany, and two times in a row were beaten by Chile through a penalty shootout in the 2015 and 2016 Copa America.

Three finals in three years, and all ended in defeat. Messi was the target of criticism in his own country. His nationalism in Argentina was questioned. After the last defeat, he decided to retire from the international stage.

However, Messi finally returned and he became a different figure. He is no longer silent, no longer an introvert player. La Pulga is more vocal, and even dares to confront officials when there are decisions that are considered detrimental to his team.

At the 2021 Copa America, the demand to win the major title with the national team was finally achieved. Argentina ended a 28-year title drought by beating Brazil 1-0 in the final at the Maracana.

The result seemed to be a release of the burden that had been carried on Messi's shoulders. Until then, the most awaited moment came, bringing the Albiceleste to lift the World Cup for the third time in history. A long wait after they last won in 1986 with Diego Maradona.

In Qatar two years ago, the public saw very well how Messi, who was 34 years old at the time, danced past Josko Gvardiol, the young Croatian defender who was only 20 years old, before sending a beautiful pass that was finished by Julian Alvarez to lead the Tango Team to the final.

"Football has changed a lot," Messi told Zinedine Zidane in 2023.

"The way you play, the system. The game now relies more on tactics and physicality than it used to. In the past, you could find more space."

At Inter Miami and the 2024 Copa America, Messi indeed walked more than ran. But people can't criticize his playing style like this. Messi's style is actually considered a genius, because he is no longer young. Messi actually uses this 'walking moment' to do scanning, reading the movements of friends and opponents. And, it was clearly visible in the match against Algeria in his first match at the 2026 World Cup.

Maybe it's true what Pablo Aimar, Lionel Messi's idol since childhood, said: "The latest version of Messi is always the best version of Messi."