Argentina forward Giuliano Simeone has led the compliments for Lionel Messi after the talismanic captain came off the bench to script yet another slice of footballing history at the FIFA World Cup 2026 .
Messi extended his tournament scoring streak to a record-breaking seven consecutive matches during Argentina's convincing 3-1 victory over Jordan on Sunday. The strike took the 39-year-old's unparalleled World Cup career tally to 19 goals, officially moving him past legends Just Fontaine and Jairzinho for the longest continuous goalscoring run in the tournament's history.
For Simeone, however, the eye-popping statistics are simply a reflection of the dedication he witnesses behind closed doors.
“There’s not much left to say about him. He really is the best in the world, the best of all time, and he keeps proving it,” Simeone told FIFA. “It’s incredible. I see it day to day: how he trains, how he takes care of himself. Everything he does is impressive, and he has a special kind of magic.”
Having already secured qualification, head coach Lionel Scaloni handed Messi a well-deserved rest from the starting lineup following his 39th birthday celebrations earlier in the week. However, the maestro entered the fray in the second half to wrap up a perfect group stage for the reigning world champions, who finished comfortably atop Group J with three wins from three matches.
While Jordan's Mousa Al-Tamari managed to breach the Argentine defense, marking the first goal La Albiceleste have conceded in the tournament but Simeone remained highly satisfied with the team's tactical output.
“I’m very pleased with the result and with how it came about. I think overall we played a good match. It’s a shame about the goal we conceded, of course, but I’m happy with the win,” Simeone added.
Messi's ageless performance also left the younger generation in the squad completely starstruck. Midfielder Nico Paz, who shares a massive 18-year age gap with his captain, admitted that the veteran asset continues to reinvent his game.
"We already know what Messi is like. In the end, he's the best in history. He always surprises you with something new," the Como midfielder remarked. "At his age, he still has something new to show, and today he did it again. He came on for a while, we'd been missing that, and I'm very happy for him."
With the group stage successfully navigated, Argentina now shifts its attention to the high-stakes knockout phase. The defending champions have officially moved into the Round of 32, where they are scheduled to clash against surprise package Cabo Verde in a win-or-go-home encounter on July 4.
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