Football dey loyal to those wey dey glorify am. For Texas heat, for stadium wey modern pass, far from Rosario small pitches where e start, Messi score two goals wey secure im place for history. E surpass Klose with im 17th and 18th World Cup goals, more than any player wey don grace this tournament.
Maybe Mbappé dey close and one day go surpass am, but the glory between im goal for Dallas and the one wey go catch am na reward for this 38-year-old colossus, legend among legends, myth among myths.
E no be Jordi Alba but Mac Allister wey assist. E no be for Barça but for Argentina. E no be for Camp Nou but for United States. But Messi still be Messi, wey never change. E score the goal wey cement am for history: switch play to flank, cross towards edge of area, and trademark Messi finish wey arrive from deep, guiding ball into same corner with im own momentum.
Football history. The history wey allow am surpass Klose. Im sixth consecutive World Cup match with goal. Im ninth goal across those six games. At 38, another challenge meet for career wey define by endless records.
The stands erupt. Among more than 60,000 Argentines and Argentina supporters scattered for crowd, joy of witnessing Messi for day wey destined to be remembered forever explode into celebration. Leo achieve far more than becoming unforgettable player. E make supporters feel wetin e feel, push where e push, and enjoy wetin e enjoy. And suffer wetin e suffer as well.
That na why im missed penalty, moments before celebrations, feel like dagger through atmosphere. Posch challenge on Lautaro bring controversial penalty, but the No. 10 miss. A historic goal no deserve to arrive under strange circumstances.
Austria no surrender easy either, wey only highlight character wey Messi and Argentina show. Alaba prevent couple of clear chances, while relentless tackling of Austria midfielders turn match into kind of battle wey only genius fit tame. Once Argentina creators contain, Messi become both creator and himself.
Enzo Fernández and Mac Allister fit be worth more than $150 million, but with Leo nearby dem become lieutenants serving the one man wey truly understand how this game dey play. The freedom wey Messi drift across pitch every time e touch ball seem to calm Austria resistance, although dem never fully surrender. E almost score again when Schlager manage to tip effort over bar with im fingertips.
Scaloni turn to im bench, and attention go now turn to whether Cuti Romero injury serious as e appear when e depart, and whether Julián Álvarez fit genuinely challenge Lautaro for place for starting line-up. No doubts about Messi. As though time never touch am, as though e no be 20 years since im first World Cup appearance but rather im very first tournament, e float around opposition penalty area with freshness of young player.
E deliver corner wey Nico González nearly turn into goal wey go settle contest, but e save final flourish for himself. Im second goal, the one wey complete im brace and move am to 18 for all-time list, come from counterattack wey e both orchestrate and finish. Another historic day. One wey secure im place forever for pages of World Cup history, in case any doubts remain, in case any sceptic still question say we dey witness the greatest legend of all.
