Lionel Messi’s World Cup surge, can he keep this pace at 39? | OneFootball

Lionel Messi has six goals in three matches at this World Cup and goes into the round of 32 against Cape Verde, in the night from Friday to Saturday in France, with one question looming, at 39, can he sustain this level to the end?

He has also extended a World Cup streak to seven consecutive scoring appearances, underlining his sway in what is very likely his final tournament. According to L'Équipe, his start has set the tone for Argentina and framed the debate around how long he can keep pushing.

Physical doubts persist. After a season in MLS, a competition less demanding than Europe’s elite leagues, and with muscular fatigue flagged before the tournament, he no longer shows the same acceleration, capacity to repeat runs, or explosiveness of his Barcelona peak.

He compensates with rare precision, timing and vision, and prepared specifically with deep conditioning to handle the workload and raise intensity. The unknown is when the tank runs dry, yet that preparation fuels real hope he is capable of going the distance.

He can keep chasing milestones next, notably Just Fontaine’s 13 goals from 1958. Beyond the numbers, every outing now invites the same query, how long can his body keep pace with his genius?

Source: L'Équipe