Argentina captain Lionel Messi enjoyed a “beautiful moment” after becoming the World Cup’s joint all-time leading goal scorer on Wednesday but added that “ultimately, it is just a statistic, nothing more.”
The 38-year-old attacker added another great chapter to his dazzling career with a spectacular hat-trick in the South Americans’ 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City.
Messi’s hat trick, his first at a World Cup, tied him with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the tournament record of 16 goals.
Next on the list is Brazilian great Ronaldo, with 15 goals, one more than Gerd Muller and current France phenom Kylian Mbappe.
“To enjoy this with my family, with my teammates, the ones who are always there, is a really beautiful moment,” Inter Miami star Messi said. “I’m happy.”
He added: “It’s an honor to be there, given what it means to stand alongside Klose or the others.
“Ronaldo is there too, but I don’t think it means anything—Mbappe as well, who scored two today (in a 3-1 win against Senegal).
“In the end, it’s just a statistic and nothing more.”
Messi’s eyes for goal bodes well for Argentina’s chances of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
“The squad, it’s a very united, very strong group,” he said.
“I feel good. We were lucky enough to win a tough match. It’s important to start off with a win in the first game.
“I’m grateful to the fans, because once again they’ve shown that Argentina is crazy about this — we packed the stadium again.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he no longer had “the words to describe Messi.”
“For 20 years, he’s had us used to seeing things like this, and he inspires everyone who watches him play,” he said of Messi’s masterclass.
Argentina midfielder Alexis MacAllister stated that despite his veteran status, Messi remains the team’s heartbeat.
“If anyone thought this group was better off without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important of them all,” he stated.
Rodrigo De Paul, who provided the pass for the first goal, called the former Barcelona player “a beast.”
