Irrepressible Messi breaks World Cup scoring record as Argentina beat Austria

It had to be Lionel Messi, it had to be on this day and perhaps it even needed to be in Dallas too. History was created in the way he knows best, a clinical left-footed flourish setting him out on his own as the World Cup’s highest goalscorer of all time. An occasion that already throbbed with an epic, cinematic quality had its moment for the ages and the genius who served it up will surely provide even more. A first golden boot would not be the worst present for an icon who turns 39 on Wednesday.

Nobody should expect anything less because Messi has no idea how to stop. Four minutes into added time this match was dying, a competent but blunt Austria showing no sign of dampening the mood. This was already Messi’s day, goal number 17 coming late in the first half and rarely looking anything but the winner in an otherwise unremarkable contest. Well, make that 18. There has never been a finer player because there has never been a brighter footballing mind, one that has been thoroughly exercised across a career spanning more than two decades but simply refuses to dull.

Messi could have got away without following up the pass he raked left to Julián Alvarez, whose effort was saved, and did not need to make himself available for Leandro Paredes to find him when the ball ran loose. He could have put it down to ill luck when his own shot was blocked but kept going when everyone else had hesitated, blasting in low and hearing the closed roof reverberate to Albiceleste jubilation once again.

Diffident he might seem, but Messi just cannot get enough. He certainly appeared to enjoy the record-breaking moment when, after Thiago Almada had intuitively let a Facundo Medina cutback run, he shot first-time past Alexander Schlager for the kind of goal he has scored hundreds of times. The resonance of this one has rarely been surpassed. A roar and a punch of the air confirmed he knew exactly what it meant.

Because nothing comes without a heavy side dish of emotion for Argentina, the symbolism came in bucket-loads. Messi had made history 40 years to the day since Diego Maradona felled England via infamous hand and enthralling slalom. If that was not sufficient, he had set the statisticians to work in the city where, to long-festering chagrin, Maradona was compelled to bare his soul after being thrown out of USA 1994 due to ephedrine doping. In shooting for the stars, Messi had managed to slay a few ghosts.

Had there ever really been any doubt that it would all dovetail to perfection? Quite a bit, actually, in the minutes after Messi improbably missed the target with an early penalty. That, in itself, was a pinch-me moment of sorts. The real thing was another half-hour in coming and afterwards everyone could laugh about another record smashed. Nobody has ever fluffed more spot-kicks in World Cup matches than Messi, whose grand total now stands at three.

It all made for an afternoon of awesome scale and splendour. In fairness most Argentina matches on this stage feel like that; at least three-quarters of the stadium must have been visibly rooting for Messi and company and the noise, at once celebratory and expectant, was breathtaking from the start. By the end one thing was clear: not for the first time this summer, football had contrived to create an event that largely defied cynicism.

Even so, Argentina’s rivals will have enjoyed a little schadenfreude when Messi, given the chance from 12 yards after a video assistant referee review had found Stefan Posch felled Lautaro Martínez, scuffed his shot comfortably wide of Schlager’s left post. The outcome had seemed forgone, the penalty a mere administrative procedure. The songs that had swept around this arena’s dramatic, swooping stands became an ensemble of gasped disbelief.

Messi cleared his head soon enough, almost forcing an own goal from David Alaba after some twinkling footwork, but Argentina were being worked hard by Austria’s crisp passing and ferocious, scrappy press before redemption was finally achieved.

Ralf Rangnick was indignant that a hefty challenge by Alexis Mac Allister on Xaver Schlager in the buildup to Messi’s opener was not retrospectively checked. He may have had a case but, in the end, Austria were powerless in the face of destiny.

They pushed for an equaliser during a second half in which Argentina’s threat was minimal, Emiliano Martínez repelling a Marcel Sabitzer free-kick and the substitute Patrick Wimmer glancing wide as the minutes ticked down. It was something of a surprise when their renowned tempo slowed late on, especially given the Group J leadership was at stake. Messi, by contrast, showed no sign of seizing up and his search for fresh ground to break appears unremitting.

[Source: The Guardian]