The Culture Mail

Long read ahead. If you’re busy, bookmark this and come back to it later. It’s worth the read. Messi is a phenomenon. Since the start of this tournament, despite putting up incredible numbers, it’s been obvious that, physically, he has needed to be managed even more carefully than he was in 2022. Back in Qatar, Messi would spend most of the game reading the opposition, conserving energy, and only be heavily involved for around 9 or 10 minutes on the ball—which is actually a huge amount considering footballers spend most of a game without possession. This time, it’s closer to just 3 or 4 minutes. The problem is that Argentina have looked predictable. Scaloni hasn’t provided enough tactical solutions, so the team has needed Messi to step on the gas far earlier in matches. That’s why, since the games against Egypt and Switzerland, you can clearly see the physical toll. He’s reaching the point where he simply disappears for long stretches—not because of a lack of quality, but because his legs can no longer sustain that workload. Technically, Messi remains terrifying. His dribbling, first touch, vision, passing accuracy, and decision-making haven’t disappeared and never will. But even those gifts need legs. You can’t expect a 39-year-old to play three 120-minute matches in roughly ten days and still dominate physically. That’s demanding even for players in their twenties. Yet despite that, almost every meaningful attacking pattern Argentina produce starts with him. This isn’t about praising his statistics—it’s about documenting a historic reality. Scaloni has essentially built an attack where Messi is the attack. He has overloaded him with responsibilities instead of giving players like Nico Paz or Simeone more opportunities to share the burden, occupy defenders, attract pressure, and create space. Because Messi’s football intelligence is extraordinary, he has adapted on his own. He now starts deeper, invites defenders toward him, manipulates the press, combines with teammates, and then attacks the space he has just created. He orchestrates the entire attack before creating the danger himself. We’ve seen the same pattern against Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland. Without Messi doing all of that, Argentina probably don’t survive any of those matches. Scaloni’s version of Argentina has been well below its 2022 level, and once again Messi finds himself carrying the weight of tactical shortcomings and the inflated expectations that exist largely because of him. The only positive in all of this is that it makes his achievement even greater. 🐐🇦🇷