The goal itself was a reminder that even when he appears subdued, he needs only one moment.
Timing his run perfectly onto Lisandro Martinez’s pass, Messi took the ball in his stride with his first touch and then lifted it over Cape Verde’s keeper.
Messi’s goal tally is now at seven, which would have made him the top scorer in five of the past six world cups. Since 1978, there have been 13 world cups and his tally would have been enough to be top scorer in all but two.
Commentating on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scotland forward James McFadden described the finish as “just incredible”.
“The run he makes is beyond the backline and the timing is excellent,” McFadden said.
“The weight of the pass into him is outstanding and his first touch is exquisite.”
On ITV, Ally McCoist was equally impressed, calling it “genius at work”.
“It’s just one record after another,” he said. “It’s amazing.”
Those records continue to mount.
He is the first player, male or female, to score 20 career World Cup goals.
And he has now scored in eight consecutive World Cup appearances – which no-one else has done. And he is the first player to score seven or more goals at two separate World Cups after also reaching that mark in 2022.
What continues to set him apart is not relentless running but an almost unrivalled understanding of space and timing.
While others chase the game, Messi studies it.
Perhaps that is why, at 39, he is still able to score at the rate he does. He scans the pitch before receiving possession, waits patiently for the right opportunity and conserves energy until the moment arrives.
Yet there has also been another side to his game in this tournament.
“Throughout the years, Messi has walked at times in games to assess what is happening,” McFadden observed.
“But here he is getting back to try and win the ball and is leading the press. It’s not a full, high-energy press, but he is leading it.”
