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Rabat – There may come a day when people stop being amazed by Lionel Messi, but then he delivers a performance like the one against Egypt and proves that, although he has accomplished so much already, he is capable of making the biggest difference in the biggest games.
The question today is where would Argentina be if not for him turning the whole game around?
Most likely, back home.
The Egypt-Argentina match was not an easy one. The reigning world champions had a hard time against a brave Egypt team that refused to back down. However, when the need arose, the man in the No.10 jersey proved that he can still make a difference.
Even as a new generation of football players emerges on the scene, ready to take over the crown, Messi continues proving that it is the same old king still wearing it.
What is most astonishing about his game is that he no longer relies on speed to dominate. It is his intelligence that stands out among all others; each of his touches had a purpose, each pass was made with a plan, and every single action seemed to be a step ahead of his opponents.
Messi missed a penalty early in the match, and in a knockout game, a mistake like that is enough to mentally derail most players. But Messi has never been like most players; he has always been different.
Late in the game, he set up the first goal and scored the second himself, inspiring Argentina’s remontada as the match ended 3-2.
Football supporters will argue about the best football player of all time forever. Each period has its legends, and each fan has his own personal favorite. These debates are unlikely to end anytime soon.
However, on nights like these, it becomes harder to refute one particular point. At an age when most legends have already left football’s biggest stage, Messi continues to influence the outcome of the World Cup knockout games.
In case anyone was unsure whether he still deserves to be at the pinnacle of footballing prowess, he provided yet another compelling answer.
It is not only that Messi proves that age is just a number, but that he continues to prove that there is simply no other like him.
