Messi is eternal: he scores three goals and is already the all-time top scorer in World Cup history

BarcelonaThree shouts in the early morning have woken up many residents in Catalonia. They were Argentinians living here or Catalans who miss Messi. The former Barça player has debuted in his sixth World Cup on the very day that marked 20 years since his first match, in 2006 in Germany. He was defending the crown won four years ago in Qatar. The Argentinians were facing Algeria in a test that was supposed to allow us to understand their level of play, after playing few high-level friendlies in recent months. And they passed the test with flying colors thanks to three goals from their captain. There were people who said he shouldn't be a starter, as he is already a veteran. Others said he lives permanently on vacation in Miami. In reality, Messi is eternal and has scored the three goals for the albiceleste. And he scored a fourth that did not make it onto the scoreboard.

It's his first hat-trick at a World Cup. And incidentally, he draws level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the World Cup's all-time top scorer, with 16 goals. And all this, a few hours after seeing Mbappé score two goals against Senegal, putting himself in contention to be the all-time top scorer in the World Cup. Messi responded shortly after, competitive as he is, just as he used to do against Cristiano Ronaldo years ago.

The first goal came from him controlling the ball between the lines in the 17th minute of play. The usual Messi: he's the most famous but always manages to be alone. His shot beat Luca Zidane, son of Zinedine Zidane, who plays for his grandparents' homeland's national team. Before that, Lautaro Martínez had already signaled Argentina's intentions with a header that Zidane saved. Already leading on the scoreboard, Argentina dominated with Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister in midfield. The second goal arrived in the second half, when Alexis Mac Allister shot from outside the box, Zidane left the ball dead, and Messi took advantage to seal the victory for the current world champion. The third came in the 76th minute when he took advantage of a pass from Nicolás González and scored one of those shots from the edge of the box that he so often took while wearing the blaugrana. Lionel Scaloni, aware of what was happening, decided to substitute him a few minutes from the end so that the thousands of fans present in Kansas City could pay homage to him. Argentinians and North Americans. And some Algerians. And neutral fans. And all those who haven't slept in Catalonia.

At the end of the match, Messi explained that he was moved by the first goal, crying, due to "a matter completely unrelated to football, I've had some difficult, complicated days. I want to thank the entire delegation, my teammates, because as always they have helped me". The Argentine, by the way, explained that these days he is watching a documentary about Rafa Nadal. "We are watching the Rafa Nadal series and we are very similar, I identify a lot. I always want to give my best and I want to feel good, I enjoy it this way" he said.

"I didn't imagine this or anything that happened to me. Everything I'm living is incredible. I was lucky enough to experience more than I could have dreamed of individually and collectively. Today I am enjoying a beautiful group" added a man who will turn 39 in 8 days. The Rosario player already has 913 goals in his career, scoring in a World Cup 20 years after his debut on June 16, 2006 against the Serbia and Montenegro team in Germany. With his performance today, he has surpassed the 14 goals of the German Gerd Müller and the 15 of the Brazilian Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima. Mbappé now has 14, so the duel of the Qatar World Cup seems like it could be repeated in the coming matches. Be that as it may, Messi's debut has been captivating. It was like rediscovering the great love of your life a few years later, realizing that he is still a fascinating person. The same half-shy laugh when he scores, the same movements between the lines, starting to run like a whirlwind when until recently he was walking. Those dry and direct shots. The Messi of always.