At 39, Messi Proves Class is Permanent: Scaloni, Mahrez, Petkovic Pay Tribute to Argentina Icon
Lionel Messi once again lit up the World Cup stage, scoring a stunning hat-trick to lead Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener.
Messi broke the deadlock in the 17th minute with an unstoppable left-footed strike from distance. He doubled Argentina’s lead on the hour mark with a composed finish, before dashing any Algerian hopes with an exquisite shot into the bottom corner of Luca Zidane’s goal with 14 minutes remaining.
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic could only admire the brilliance of the Argentina captain.
‘Class is permanent,’ he conceded. ‘We’re not talking about just any footballer. He’s been doing incredible things for many years, for decades.’
Riyad Mahrez, introduced in the second half in search of a comeback, echoed the sentiment: ‘They’ve got Messi; that makes all the difference.’
Just days before his 39th birthday, Messi’s performance drew praise from Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who told FIFA: ‘What he did today sums up everything he’s done over the last 20 years of his career. I don’t know what else is left to say. We just have to enjoy him. We’ve seen him do incredible things and he’ll never stop doing them, even if he’s 45.’
The night carried symbolic weight too. Exactly two decades after his World Cup debut in Germany in 2006, Messi delivered one of the most dazzling displays of his career.
Argentinian singer Carlos Gardel once sang ‘Twenty years is nothing,’ and Messi proved him right, turning back the clock with a complete masterclass that reaffirmed his timeless greatness.
