Messi's numbers do not do justice to his genius - but second World Cup will

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In theory, it was his wrong foot - as if he has got a wrong foot. Across the edge of England’s six-yard box was a cordon of tall defenders. But he still picked out Lautaro Martinez. In the added minutes of a World Cup semi-final that can scramble the coolest head, he picked out Martinez and invited him to send Argentina to the final.

When all is said and done about England’s capitulation in Atlanta last Wednesday, it was another chapter in the epic, footballing tale being written by Lionel Messi. And should he lead Argentina to back-to-back World Cup triumphs, the only unpalatable sight in New Jersey will be of Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump sharing the stage with the greatest footballer of all time.

Their double act in New York ahead of tonight’s final between Argentina and Spain was nauseous on a predictably grand scale. Sorry, it is no double act. It is puppeteer and puppet. Jonny, as Trump calls him, says what Trump wants him to say.

And on this occasion, Jonny said: “You don’t need people to compliment you, Mr President, but this World Cup would not have been such an incredible success without you.” No, he does need people to compliment him, and Infantino has been happy to oblige. He invented FIFA’S Peace Prize for him, for goodness sake.

Whether or not World Cup 2026 has been ‘an incredible success’ or not is, as usual, a subjective matter. But to be scrupulously fair, even the most sceptical must have enjoyed it to some extent.

The 48-team format did not produce as many mismatches and dead rubbers as we might have thought.

It gave us some nice stories, the Cape Verde journey being the standard-bearer for an expanded competition. And there has been some enthralling football in the knockout stages.

Few would complain about having an extra knockout stage. Hands up, I started the World Cup vehemently opposed to a 48-team event … now, a 64-team event would not bother me.

The breadth and gaiety of the competing nations and their supporters have been sights to behold and the venues have, in the main, looked sensational. There is, though, a lengthy snag list, headed by the exorbitant cost of getting into games and being there.

It will go down as the most-attended World Cup but it is still THE rip-off World Cup. And then there was the banning of Somalian referee Omar Artan, the poor treatment of the Iranian national team and the lifting of Folarin Balogun’s suspension after the Trump intervention.

“Jonny made yet another of his good decisions,” Trump said on Friday. And then there was the hydration-break system, a running sore through the four and a half weeks of competition.

But in the end, FIFA - and Infantino - will get away with fundamentally changing the format of a football match. They will get away with it because the football has been largely compelling.

And nothing has been more compelling than Messi, at the age of 39, redefining his greatness. Here are some stats from this World Cup.

Most shots - 34 (Messi). Most chances created - 25 (Messi). Most take-ons completed - 25 (Messi). Most accurate crosses - 19 (Messi). Most through balls - 15 (Messi). Most goal involvements - 12 (Messi). Most big chances created - 8 (Messi). Most goals - 10 (Mbappe, Messi second with 8).

They are remarkable numbers but those of us who have watched Messi for over two decades know that numbers do not even come close to doing justice to his genius. Argentina’s antics during and after the semi-final win were not to everyone’s taste. There will be little support for them in England.

But to see Messi inspire his nation was a sight to behold in Qatar in 2022, and is even more so four years later. So, when Infantino tells Trump this World Cup would not have been such an incredible success without him, he is fundamentally wrong.

This World Cup would not have been such an incredible success - if that is what you think it is - without Lionel Messi. And it will be hard to begrudge him a remarkable final act.

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