Every time we think we’ve seen everything Lionel Messi can possibly do, he proves us wrong.
As he turns 39 on Wednesday, that’s the easiest way to describe his sensational start to the 2026 World Cup, where he has erupted for five goals across his first two matches, set a new all-time World Cup scoring record, and climbed to the top of oddsmakers’ tournament golden boot futures.
Even for an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, it’s an unprecedented level productivity in his World Cup career..
His hat trick against Algeria was his first at a World Cup. His brace against Austria was only his fourth career multi-goal performance in the competition.
And while he claimed he was tired after the latter, he certainly didn’t look it, creating the flurry of late opportunities near the Austrian goal with a surging run up the right flank.
When Messi when Messi left Paris Saint-Germain for MLS in the summer of 2023, conventional wisdom suggested the beginning of the end. And that end will come eventually.
But on the evidence so far, there’s a reasonable argument that Messi’s stateside move has actually made him a better – or at least more comfortable – national team player. And the more you think about it, the more it makes sense.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Option
For starter’s, Messi’s role with Inter Miami is more similar to the duties he fills for Argentina than was his job description for FC Barcelona or PSG.
Yes, Messi has always been his team’s best player. But while playing for a pair of European super clubs, he was always fielded in a lineup that included a couple teammates who were at least in the same discussion of attacking excellence.
By contrast, he has been the first, second and third options on Argentina for much of his national team career. And that’s a dynamic that reappears in Miami. Despite spending a record-breaking amount on wages for an MLS team, the Herons are still constrained by the league’s parity-driven roster rules. And the Messi-Neymar-Ronaldo rumors that occasionally pop up are wishful thinking.
It’s only natural for a player to subconsciously follow his club instincts while he’s playing for his country. But in Messi’s current situation, that’s not a problem. And for much of his earlier career, it used to be.
Argentinean Enclave
The increasingly Argentine-flavored club environment that Miami has fostered probably also help Messi feel more at ease in his national team surroundings.
Messi is one of 11 Herons player who claim Argentinean nationality, according to Transfrmarkt. All three of his managers have been Argentineans. Even Miami’s current Adidas home shirt pays homage to Argentina’s tradtional home striped top.
This is a concerted effort. But arguably, it’s not an attempt at familiarity, but rather reconnection with a culture he had to leave too early.
Messi famously spent many of his formative years in Catalan surroundings while coming through Barcelona’s youth academy. And it’s easy now to forget there were very real tensions between Messi and his homeland during his earlier years, when he not only failed produce for Argentina like he did for Barcelona, but also at times failed to demonstrate an Argentine identity.
Many of those wounds are now healed. Even so, the environment at Miami keeps Messi as close to his Argentine identity as possible, without the madness that would surround him in his home country. And it could make switching to national team mode an easier transition.
Ain’t That America
Last of all, his familiarity with the United States almost certainly adds to the tournament comfort level.
It’s one thing to vacation in the U.S. and another to play your club soccer there. Messi now has three full years of doing the latter under his belt. And from longer travel demands to variable summer weather to pitch complaints, there should be little at this tournament that surprises him.
Heck, his hat trick against Algeria came in the same venue where he helped Miami defeat Sporting Kansas City in early 2024.
Most of the stadiums aren’t MLS venues. But otherwise, the potential itinerary of a deep tournament run looks a lot like a run-of-the-mill busy MLS summer stretch. That has to provide a certain amount of comfort, and could explain why Messi looks that much more at ease.