KANSAS CITY: Lionel Messi has scored in every World Cup match so far, but after two gruelling knockout ties, will age finally catch up with the 39-year-old in the quarter-final against Switzerland? Lionel Scaloni’s team sailed through the group stage but have been pushed to the limit by Cape Verde and Egypt. They needed extra time to squeeze past the World Cup newcomers in the last 32 before winning 3-2 and then came back from the dead against Mohamed Salah’s team. The defending champions have won all five of their games, with Messi’s brilliance and their unshakeable team spirit central to their progress. Messi made up for a missed penalty against Egypt with a wonderfully composed finish as Argentina rallied from two goals down in the closing minutes. He broke down in a rare show of emotion at the end of the pulsating 3-2 win in Atlanta, saying he was desperate for his World Cup journey to continue. “It was a moment of pure happiness and relief,” said the Inter Miami forward. “We wanted to stay in the tournament. We didn’t want today to be the end, we didn’t want to go home.” Messi admitted he was tired after playing 120 minutes against Cape Verde but he featured for the whole game against Egypt and remains indispensable. Saturday’s quarter-final at Arrowhead Stadium will take him back to the scene of his hat-trick in Argentina’s first match of the 2026 tournament. He has continued his scoring run, taking his tally to eight — level with Golden Boot rival Kylian Mbappe. And he has also become the leading scorer in World Cup history, with 21 goals across his career.
