AP
Lionel Messi’s move to America will look like a masterstroke if he leads Argentina to back-to-back World Cup titles.
His decision to join Inter Miami in 2023 has already been good for all parties, raising the profile of soccer in the United States, delivering titles for his club and writing a new chapter in his storied career.
But Argentina could be the biggest winner of all, with Messi arriving at what might be his last World Cup with his powers still at stratospheric levels aged 38.
“Leo will be the best for as long as he wants; he has been doing it every single match for the last 20 years,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.
Messi scored his first hat trick at a World Cup and also moved level on 16 goals with Miroslav Klose as the leading scorer in tournament history.
“I tried to prepare myself in the best possible way to feel good physically, to feel useful, and to be able to help the group,” Messi said.
Messi left behind the intensity of European soccer to join Inter Miami in 2023, delivering a massive boost for Major League Soccer.
He said he wanted to “live football in another way” and while that included changes to his home life in the U.S., there was also a step down in the level of competition compared to Europe’s top leagues.
But at a time when top players are warning of burnout because of soccer’s increasingly congested calendar, Messi appears to be benefiting from making the move. He has played fewer games in the U.S. than at the height of his Barcelona career when he could play in excess of 50 a season. His performance at the start of this World Cup shows he hasn’t lost his sharpness even if he is not regularly facing the world’s top defenders in MLS.
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