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Messi opens the scoring against Cape Verde with 'sensational' finish
He scored again. After getting three against Algeria, two against Austria and one against Jordan, Lionel Messi added another as Argentina defeated Cape Verde in the World Cup last 32.
His opener in the dramatic, extraordinary 3-2 victory in Miami was his 20th World Cup finals goal - extending the record he broke during his country's progression through the group phase in the United States. It was his seventh of this tournament.
The atmosphere around the stadium had been building long before kick-off, with supporters lining the streets draped in sky blue and white, beating drums, singing songs and posing beneath giant Argentina flags.
Inside, blue and white shirts dominated the stands, with his number 10 visible almost everywhere.
Flags draped over the railings, while one striking banner portrayed Messi alongside Diego Maradona as saint-like figures, reflecting the status which so many supporters regard their greatest footballing icons.
"He's our hero," one Argentina fan said before kick-off. "He's like our God."
"He has aged like fine wine," another said. "The older he gets, the better he gets."
When asked whether Messi could win the Golden Boot at this World Cup, supporters were confident that he would if Argentina made the final.
"We've already had so much from him," one fan said. "If he wins it, fantastic, but everything he's already done for Argentina is enough. He is incredible."
By Messi's extraordinary standards, this was not his most influential performance.
Cape Verde frustrated Argentina for long periods and played with a confidence that suggested little sign of the gap in the world rankings, with Argentina ranked second in the world and Cape Verde sitting outside the top 60.
Yet, as he has done so many times before, Messi still made his mark.
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'It's just one record after another' The goal itself was a reminder that even when he appears subdued, he needs only one moment.
Timing his run perfectly onto Lisandro Martinez's pass, Messi took the ball in his stride with his first touch and then lifted it over Cape Verde's keeper.
Messi's goal tally is now at seven, which would have made him the top scorer in five of the past six world cups. Since 1978, there have been 13 world cups and his tally would have been enough to be top scorer in all but two.
Commentating on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scotland forward James McFadden described the finish as "just incredible".
"The run he makes is beyond the backline and the timing is excellent," McFadden said.
"The weight of the pass into him is outstanding and his first touch is exquisite."
On ITV, Ally McCoist was equally impressed, calling it "genius at work".
"It's just one record after another," he said. "It's amazing."
He is the first player, male or female, to score 20 career World Cup goals.
And he has now scored in eight consecutive World Cup appearances - which no-one else has done. And he is the first player to score seven or more goals at two separate World Cups after also reaching that mark in 2022.
What continues to set him apart is not relentless running but an almost unrivalled understanding of space and timing.
While others chase the game, Messi studies it.
Perhaps that is why, at 39, he is still able to score at the rate he does. He scans the pitch before receiving possession, waits patiently for the right opportunity and conserves energy until the moment arrives.
Yet there has also been another side to his game in this tournament.
"Throughout the years, Messi has walked at times in games to assess what is happening," McFadden observed.
"But here he is getting back to try and win the ball and is leading the press. It's not a full, high-energy press, but he is leading it."
If Messi mania exists anywhere outside Argentina, it is perhaps at its strongest in Miami.
The city's large Argentine community has embraced him since his arrival at Inter Miami in 2023 and his influence stretches far beyond the football pitch.
His image is everywhere, from murals across the city to flags, shop windows and countless pieces of memorabilia. Children wearing Argentina's number 10 shirt play football on the beach, while his name is chanted around stadiums long before kick-off.
His impact has even reached Miami's food scene. Several Argentine restaurants proudly serve the milanesa - an Argentine dish of breaded beef or chicken which is thought to be one of Messi's favourites. Some venues have named the menu items in his honour.
In the press zone after matches, where media can speak to players, the frenzy reaches another level. Journalists crowd together in the hope of hearing from him, microphones are thrust into the air and camera operators stretch above the crowd for the briefest glimpse of the game's biggest star.
Conversations stop the moment he appears, with television crews jostling for position before he disappears down the corridor moments later.
Such is the fascination that there are a series of digital platforms across the world dedicated entirely to him. They follow his every move, documenting the latest chapter in a career that continues to captivate supporters wherever he plays.
The global fascination for Messi extends well beyond Argentina's own supporters and underlines that this World Cup is about more than just one nation's pursuit of silverware.
For many, it is another chance to watch one of football's greatest players continue to make history.
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Sources: BBC Sport
