The Weight Lifted

Lionel Messi made his World Cup debut in 2006 in Germany. He entered as a substitute against Serbia and Montenegro, sealing a 6-0 victory. At just 18 years old, the future global icon was already making waves. Now, at 38, and turning 39 next week, the Argentine maestro has achieved something he never did in his younger years: a World Cup hat-trick. The time elapsed since that first tournament is longer than the years between his birth and his debut. It is staggering, yet he plays with the same lightness as a teenager.

Critics pointed to the opposition. Algeria were outmatched, and goalkeeper Lucas Zidane made errors. Yet Argentina has faced weaker sides before, such as the shock loss to Saudi Arabia in Qatar. Messi never scored three goals in a single World Cup match until now. The change is psychological. For the first time, he played a World Cup match as a reigning champion. The burden of expectation, which weighed heavily on his shoulders for five tournaments, is gone.

From Burden to Joy

The image of Messi after the 2014 final loss remains etched in memory. His eyes reflected pain, sadness, and unfulfilled ambition. Until 2022, he appeared tense, focused, and rarely smiled during World Cups. Against Algeria, the pressure vanished. He played with flair, without fear. This is how champions play when the title is already secured. The hat-trick arrived with ease, defying the narrative that the Major League Soccer is a retirement league for aging stars.

Some argued he stopped progressing, merely playing for fun. But on Wednesday, he proved otherwise. He could have scored four; a goal in the opening minutes was disallowed for offside. Even a clumsy tackle in the 31st minute showed youthful recklessness, not the usual caution. He tripped an opponent, but the referee issued no card. A younger Messi, obsessed with results, might have avoided such risks. Now, he plays with freedom.

Chasing Records

Argentina’s path to defending their title is far from certain. It is too early to predict their chances, especially after facing little resistance. However, Messi demonstrated he remains in peak form. He is poised to challenge Miroslav Klose’s all-time scoring record, potentially overtaking Kylian Mbappé in the race. Whether he breaks the record or not, his performance against Algeria silences doubters. He is no longer chasing glory; he is enjoying it. And at 38, he is still the best.