Lionel Messi at 38: Inter Miami Maestro Still Conducting Argentina’s World Cup Symphony

Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami in 2023 may prove a key moment if he leads Argentina to back-to-back World Cup titles. At 38, he remains central to the team, with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and others saying his form is still at a very high level.

Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina’s opening game against Algeria, his first at a World Cup, and moved level with Miroslav Klose on 16 tournament goals. Thierry Henry said he was “on the moon” after the display, while Fox analyst Alexi Lalas said Lionel Messi is “the system” for Argentina.

Messi said: “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.” Scaloni said: “Leo will be the best for as long as he wants; he has been doing it every single match for the last 20 years.”

Impact Of Inter Miami Move On Lionel Messi

Messi left Europe’s top level to join Inter Miami in 2023, saying he wanted to “live football in another way”. The move raised the profile of soccer in the United States, helped Inter Miami win titles, and gave Messi a different workload than in his Barcelona peak years.

He has played fewer matches in the U.S. than he did at Barcelona, where he often played more than 50 games a season. That has not slowed him here. Messi said: “I love to play, to compete. And no matter where it is, today I find myself at another World Cup, which brings extra happiness.”

Dream Fulfilled In World Cup 2022 For Argentina's GOAT

Lionel Messi won his long-awaited World Cup in 2022 after leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain. He scored seven goals in that tournament, including two in the final against France, and lifted the trophy in his fifth World Cup. He had scored only once at the previous tournament in Russia.

Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul said both players had extra training to arrive in peak shape, saying: “We killed ourselves to, physically, arrive in the best way.” Messi also said he was inspired by Rafa Nadal after watching a Netflix docuseries on the tennis great.