Lionel Messi insisted that he is not focused on his age and is only concerned about staying in shape after the rewrite FIFA World Cup the record books just two days before his 39th birthday.The Argentina captain scored twice in a 2-0 win over Austria in Texas, becoming the all-time leading scorer in men’s World Cup history while also setting a new record for most wins by any player at the tournament.Messi’s first-half strike saw him go past German great Miroslav Klose’s tally of 16 World Cup goals, while his stoppage-time effort took his overall tally to 18 goals. The win also gave Messi his 18th World Cup win, surpassing Klose’s previous record of 17 wins.
“I’m just focused on being good”
With his 39th birthday approaching on June 24, Messi has made it clear that thoughts about age have not occupied his mind.“I don’t spend time thinking about my age. I’m simply focused on being good,” Messi told reporters after the game. “I feel physically good, and maybe that’s why they play better.”The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also said he was unsure whether he would feature in Argentina’s final Group J clash against Jordan after the defending champions sealed qualification for the Round of 32.“The manager (Lionel Scaloni) will decide if he plays or not, or how much he plays,” Messi said. “I feel good and happy to be part of this group, which always competes, no matter who the opponent is and never relaxes.”
Missed penalty ‘affected us a bit’
Messi’s evening had started on a frustrating note after missing a sixth-minute penalty. He admitted that the clash had disrupted Argentina’s rhythm.Messi said the missed opportunity affected the team “a little bit”.“We missed two or three clear opportunities,” he said. “We controlled the game, but the ball didn’t go in. So we managed to recover, playing very intense, very fast football.”“The team competes, and competes very well. We can play better or worse, but there is no doubt that we have to compete in every game the same way, no matter who the opponent is,” he added.The brace also made Messi only the second player after Klose to score four or more goals in three different World Cups and lifted him to the top of the scoring charts at the ongoing tournament with five goals in two games.
