“What made Messi so unstoppable?” The question was put to Algeria midfielder Ibrahim Maza. Hearing it, Maza gave his trademark smile. The ordinary becoming extraordinary can perhaps be explained, but how does one explain the extraordinary itself? It is a question Messi’s teammates and opponents have faced many times. Maza answered it the same way: “Messi magic. I don’t think it needs explaining. Watch the match and you’ll understand what ‘Messi magic’ means. As you saw today, he can decide the fate of a match on his own.”
With his hat-trick against Algeria, Messi shared in several records. One of them is drawing level with Miroslav Klose’s mark as the leading scorer in World Cup history. Messi now has 15 goals; one more and he will sit alone on the throne. But Messi said he was not interested in any of it. He made that clear after the match, holding the “Superior Player of the Match” trophy. “Honestly, I’m not thinking about this record. To see my name beside Klose’s is an honor. Brazil’s Ronaldo is there too. Mbappe is there as well — he scored two today. In the end these are only statistics, nothing more,” he said.
The remark drew gasps from the packed room. A reporter, caught in the surprise, turned the question to Messi’s teammate Rodrigo De Paul: “Does Messi really not think about these records?” De Paul answered with humor: “He doesn’t bother with any of it. Even when you remind him while chatting, he doesn’t think about it. How that’s possible, I don’t know.”
It is possible because it is Messi. Records have fallen at his feet for years. Why would a man whose feats have been passed down from generation to generation dwell on them? He wants only to enjoy the football and to astonish everyone, from teammates and opponents to the wider world. That is why, even as he left the pitch in the 80th minute, an estimated 70,000 spectators rose to cheer the legend’s name. Moved by the love, Messi raised both hands in acknowledgment.
Messi, whose feats leave coach Lionel Scaloni absorbed on the sidelines. Carried away by emotion, Scaloni readily offered the timeless verdict on the ordinary-yet-extraordinary: “There are no words to describe it. Whatever I say will fall short. He has been doing this for 20 years. This is exactly what football fans want to see.” How much longer can Messi keep football fans spellbound by this magic? That question may be saved for the final chapter of the magician’s epic.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report