🚨 Arsene Wenger on Lionel Messi's hat-trick and becoming the World Cup's all time leading goalscorer:
🗣“What we witnessed today goes beyond another record. It is the continuation of a career that has consistently redefined the standards of excellence in football.
It wasn't simply a hat-trick,it was the quality of the goals, the intelligence behind every decision, and the efficiency with which Messi influenced the game. Those are the qualities that separate truly exceptional players from the rest.
For many years people have tried to compare Messi with other great footballers, but there comes a point where comparisons lose their meaning. He has built a legacy that stands on its own.
What fascinates me most is his evolution. I genuinely don't know whether the young Messi, with his explosive pace and dribbling, was better than the experienced Messi we see today, who controls every moment of the game with his intelligence and understanding. Very few players improve with age the way he has.
The emotion after his second goal revealed another side of his greatness. It reminded everyone of the difficult journey he has had with Argentina,the disappointments, the criticism, and the perseverance that eventually led to glory. That emotional connection with his country continues to drive him.
To score his first World Cup hat trick while becoming the tournament's all time leading goalscorer is an extraordinary achievement. It is another milestone in a career that already seemed impossible to improve.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect is his longevity. He finished the 2022 World Cup by lifting the trophy after scoring twice in the final, and he has opened the 2026 tournament with a hattrick. At almost 39 years of age, he continues to perform with the same clarity, technical quality, and love for the game that defined him in his twenties.
That is the mark of a truly timeless footballer.”
What fascinates me more than the hat-trick is one question I’d love to ask Messi: How did you make them love you this much? Messi has reached a level with his teammates that even Maradona never truly achieved throughout his career.
The man in front of you is the same player who, after Argentina reached the 2014 World Cup final, had Mascherano walk up to him and say: “I’m tired of seeing you suffer. Today, we’re playing only for your happiness.” When the media criticized Messi, Agüero said they used to ask themselves just one question: “How can we get the ball to him in the best possible position to prove he’s the best?”
Then came Copa América 2021, when Di María said: “I was ready to break my leg if it meant Messi could win an international trophy.” Less than a year later, the level of devotion had somehow gone even higher. De Paul said: “I could go to war for him without even knowing the reason.” Emiliano Martínez went even further: “I’d be willing to die for Messi on the pitch.”
Now we’ve reached 2026. Do you think anything has changed? If anything, it’s become even stronger. Álvarez and Lautaro received chances they could have finished themselves, yet they waited for Messi and squared the ball to him so he could complete his hat-trick.
This Argentina team moves as one, beats as one, and rallies behind one name:
Messi. 🐐🇦🇷
The Fani Willis testimony last week allowed ordinary Americans to see with their own eyes what they could’ve never imagined about our justice system. If these are the kinds of crap prosecutors attempting to take down a former U.S. President, imagine what the system can do to you.
You don’t need to be a criminal to live with a victim mindset
“It’s not my fault”
“It’s not fair”
“I don’t deserve this”
Say this enough times, and you will become a victim of yourself. Your pain will be proportionate to your denial of responsibility