A fail-proof tactic called Lionel Messi

Affectionately known as “La Pulga,” or “The Flea” in Spanish, Messi played 34 matches over six World Cup tournaments, scoring 21 goals and 12 assists

Ahead of every football World Cup, the coaching staff of participating teams dig deep in an attempt to find the perfect combination of tactics and talent. Except Argentina. They did things differently because they had Lionel Messi — the talent and the tactic, all rolled into one. The 39-year-old’s retirement from international football marks the end of an era in which where Argentina employed a simple tactic: give it to Messi.

The 39-year-old’s retirement from international football marks the end of an era in which where Argentina employed a simple tactic: give it to Messi. (AFP)

It worked, too. Affectionately known as “La Pulga,” or “The Flea” in Spanish, Messi played 34 matches over six World Cup tournaments, scoring 21 goals and 12 assists. Of these 21 goals, 15 came in the last two tournaments where Argentina finished as winners (2022) and runner-up (2026). This is important because it is also when, under manager Lionel Scaloni, they decided to hand over the fate of the national team to the genius of Messi.

During his long club career at Barcelona, Messi showed that he could be part of the system. But if you wanted to know how things would be if the system worked for Messi, then Argentina was the team to watch. Other teams have tried to build their system around a star but that approach has limitations. Somehow, these limitations didn’t apply to the man from Rosario. Teams could keep him at bay for most of the game but then just the tiniest of slip-ups would allow Messi to conjure a magical moment to propel his team to victory. It is what made us fans of Albiceleste, a Spanish term that translates to “the white and sky blue”. It is what made us fans of Messi. It is what made us fans of the beautiful game.