We’re delighted to announce that Lionel Messi remains the best footballer on the planet
In his final World Cup qualifier on home soil, Lionel Messi made sure to demonstrate the full range of his talent that has enraptured fans for the past two decades.
Messi scored twice on Thursday in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Venezuela in front of a raucous sellout crowd that had gathered at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires to bid him farewell.
“Being able to finish this way here is what I’ve always dreamed of,” Messi said afterwards.
“I’ve experienced a lot of things on this pitch, both good and not so good, but it’s always a joy to play in Argentina, in front of our fans.”
The Argentina captain scored in the 39th and 80th minutes. He was denied a hat-trick in the dying moments when his effort was ruled out by an offside flag. Lautaro Martínez added a goal in the 76th.
But we’re not here to talk about the goals. We’re here to talk about the pass that left us frantically calling an ambulance to fix our broken jaw.
With Argentina winning 1-0, Messi stood in the centre circle while his team-mates did the legwork of working the ball up the pitch and into his feet.
Surrounded by two Venezuelan opponents, the 38-year-old rolled his foot over the ball to buy himself crucial time. Even from the stands, you can see his brain whirring into action.
With the entire Venezuela backline frantically trying to scramble back in anticipation, they were powerless to prevent what was about to unfold.
Spotting the run of Nico Gonzalez, Messi’s whipped pass dissected the opposition defence with the ease of a seasoned scientist picking apart a frog to put his team-mate through on goal.
Gonzalez, perhaps overburned with the weight of expectancy, fumbled the opportunity. Messi’s greatest pass since the last one would not result in the goal it deserved.
— MEDIA (@M10Vid) September 5, 2025
Messi has 36 goals in South American World Cup qualifiers and remains the all-time scoring leader.
His Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez has 29 goals in continental qualifying for Uruguay, but he has retired from international duty.
Looking ahead, Messi clarified that he will only compete in next year’s World Cup if he feels physically fit.
“Same as I said before about the World Cup that I don’t think I’ll play another. Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it,” he said.
“But well, we’re almost there so I’m excited and motivated to play it. Like I always say, I go day by day, match by match. That’s it, taking it day by day, going by how I feel.
“Day by day, trying to feel good and above all, being honest with myself. When I feel good, I enjoy it, but when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good.
“So we’ll see. I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup.
“Match by match, I’ll finish the season, then I’ll have preseason, and there will be six months left. So we’ll see how I feel.
“Hopefully I’ll have a good preseason in 2026 and finish this MLS season well and then I’ll decide.”
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has spent the past year attempting to Messi-proof his team in case the great man doesn’t play in the United States next summer.
Julian Alvarez and Thiago Almada, in particular, impressed with their understanding in fine wins over Brazil and Uruguay earlier this year.
But one flick of Messi’s boot was a reminder of all that he continues to offer. It is surely unthinkable that Argentina defend their trophy without him.
By Michael Lee
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