It was always going to end like this, wasn't it The script was written somewhere in the stars above Dallas, a city that once witnessed Diego Maradona'...
It was always going to end like this, wasn't it The script was written somewhere in the stars above Dallas, a city that once witnessed Diego Maradona's final, tainted bow at a World Cup. For 38 minutes, Lionel Messi looked unusually mortal, spurning a penalty he would normally tuck in his sleep. The crowd held its breath. The ghosts of USA 94 stirred. Then, with the clock ticking towards half time, Messi did what only he can do. A sharp exchange on the edge of the box, a drop of the shoulder, and that clinical left foot swept the ball into the bottom corner. History made. The record stood alone.But that was only the opening act. The second goal, a trademark curling finish with the final kick of the game, felt almost like an afterthought. Almost. It was the kind of flourish that reminds you why you fell in love with this sport in the first place. Five goals in two group games. At this rate, 18 goals for the tournament might not be the wild fantasy it sounds like. Argentina are cruising through Group J, their passage all but guaranteed, and the man who turns 39 on Wednesday is chasing a golden boot as a birthday bonus. That would be some present.Yet what made this night truly special was the context. Forty years to the day since Maradona produced his infamous double against England, Messi stepped onto the same Texas soil to break the World Cup scoring record that had stood for decades. The symbolism was impossible to ignore. For those who remember the sadness of 1994, when Diego's career faded in a doping scandal right here, this felt like a redemption. Not for Messi, who needed none, but for the idea of Argentine football itself. The boy from Rosario did not just surpass a record. He exorcised a ghost or two along the way.Let us talk about that missed penalty. It was a rare moment of fallibility, the kind that makes you wonder if even the greats can feel the weight of history on their shoulders. For a few minutes, the doubt crept in. Could he bottle it on the biggest stage But that is the difference between a legend and a mere mortal. Messi recalibrated. He adjusted his approach, drifted into space, and waited for his moment. When it came, he did not hesitate. That is what separates him from the pack. That is why, as GoalZaza has long argued, we are watching the greatest to ever lace a pair of boots.Argentina now look set to steamroll through the group stages. Their tactical flexibility is growing, with Messi operating as both a creator and a finisher. The low blocks that troubled them in previous tournaments are being torn apart by his movement. The transitional play is sharp, quick, and devastating. If this form holds, the knockout rounds will be something to behold. And for Messi, the chance to add a golden boot to a World Cup winner's medal is still very much alive. For a man who turns 39 this week, he shows no signs of slowing down. The beautiful game is richer for his presence.
