Lionel Messi has again shown that, however much his age rises, his hunger for goals has not dimmed at all. The Argentina captain, in superb form at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, made his mark immediately after coming on as a substitute against Jordan on Monday. He scored from a stunning free kick in the 80th minute to take his tally in the tournament to 6.
With that goal, the 39-year-old superstar has moved alone to the top of the Golden Boot race. Leaving behind the finest young forwards of the day such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior, Messi — with six goals in just three matches — is now the centre of attention. His remarkable goal-scoring record in the group stage shows that age is just a number.
Messi had also played important roles in Argentina’s success in their first two World Cup matches. Against Jordan he came on in the 60th minute, when Argentina were leading 2-1 but the opponents were applying pressure. He immediately injected pace into the attack and all but sealed the win with a superb free-kick goal.
At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Messi won the Silver Boot with seven goals. This time he has become one of the leading contenders for the Golden Boot, scoring six goals even before the end of the group stage. If he keeps his current form, the chance of winning another World Cup Golden Boot in his career will also shine brighter.
Argentina take the field against Cape Verde in the round of 32 on 3 July. If Messi maintains the same consistency in the knockout stage, Argentina’s dream of defending their title — along with the Golden Boot — will rest on a firmer foundation.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report