Nelson Rodrigues opened his sports chronicles with the following phrase: “My character of the week (…).” If he were alive, the Pernambuco native would spill adjectives when writing about Messi. There is no way to escape the topic and there are no more words to describe what the Argentine number 10 represents in the history of football. The 2026 World Cup joins the gallery of remarkable World Cups because of the most tireless player of all time. The philosopher would say that records exist to be broken and that is what we are seeing with just two rounds of competition. Many people thought that the best Messi had already passed. But, apparently, it hasn’t passed yet and there’s more to come.
The Argentine is already the top scorer in World Cup history, with 17 goals, and has scored all five of Argentina’s goals so far. This Tuesday, against Austria, he found the net twice and it could have been three, if it weren’t for a missed penalty. In any case, he is already the top scorer in the World Cup with eighteen goals. When asked by journalists about the error, number 10 did not hesitate and acknowledged that he scored poorly. A genius is more of a genius when he admits his flaws which, in his case, gets more right than he gets wrong. The Argentine athlete, who turns 39 this Wednesday (24), is the greatest in football in the 21st century. As a journalist stated in the interview with coach Scaloni, it was a day of “Argentinianness” at the World Cup.
The ball gods did a great job. The duel against Austria was played four decades after the game in which Maradona defeated England in the 1986 World Cup, in Mexico, in the quarter-finals. The two goals marked the star’s life forever: one brilliant, with his feet, and the other with his hand, the famous “hand of God”.
Already an old slogan of Young Panfrom the mid-seventies, said: “When it’s not one, it’s another”. The phrase referred to the great narrators Joseval Peixoto and Osmar Santos. And that’s exactly what we saw yesterday at the World Cup. When it’s not Messi, it’s Mbappé. The French player also put on a show and will chase the marks being beaten by Messi. At the age of 27, he scored two more goals in the 3-0 victory against Iraq, in the first game stopped by rain and threats of lightning in the World Cup. The number 10 reached 16 goals in World Cups and is tied with German Klose, with 16 goals. And there’s more to come, after all, history is being built before our eyes.
The marathon of World Cup games also had Haaland finding the net twice against Senegal, in a 3-2 victory. Norway is already guaranteed in the next phase to the delight of the red fans who did the Viking row along with the players.
This Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo has another chance to show what he has achieved in the World Cup, while Kane can repeat the show he gave against Croatia in his debut.
- 2pm – Portugal x Uzbekistan – Group K – Houston
- 5pm – England x Win – Group L – Boston
- 8pm – Panama x Croatia – Group L – Toronto
- 11pm – Colombia x DR Congo – Group K – Guadalajara
