The legendary Lionel Messi does not spend his time running on the pitch. Yet, at 39 years old, he remains the leading goalscorer at the World Cup. In his sixth and potentially final appearance in the global tournament, the Argentine maestro has captured the world's attention once more by scoring seven times and establishing himself as the most prolific goalscorer in the history of the competition.
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Subscribe Sekarang →The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner prepares to lead Argentina in a critical round of 16 clash against Egypt. The South American champions seek to defend their crown and earn a fourth star. Observers note that Messi regularly seems disconnected from the action, ambles about, and appears disinterested before suddenly coming alive to alter the course of the match.
The adaptation is born of necessity for longevity. According to a recent interview with Clank Media, Messi explained his aversion to running without purpose. "When I was at Newell’s, there were two or three times a week we were sent to run around the grounds," Messi said. "I used to hide behind a tree. Running without a ball was never my thing."
Messi elaborated on his tactical strolling, stating that walking allows him to analyze the opponent's positioning and exploit structural flaws. "When I walk I analyze the opponent’s positioning, how we stand when we don’t have the ball, get away from the marker and be able to initiate a counterattack," Messi added. "I don’t pay much attention to GPS, statistics or data. I never cared how much I ran in a match."
His former manager Pep Guardiola previously affirmed this methodology. Based on Guardiola's observations, the Barcelona icon remains fully engaged even when stationary, mapping the spaces and identifying the weakest link in the opposition's defensive line. Former England captain David Beckham also revealed that Messi passed this wisdom to an academy player at Inter Miami, instructing the youngster to walk more in order to see more of the pitch.
Data from FIFA places Messi 343rd for total distance covered at the tournament in North America, with the forward registering just 27 kilometers across five matches. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague revealed on BBC 5 Live that Messi covers roughly 6.6 kilometers per game, of which 62 percent is spent walking. Balague suggested this efficiency could allow the superstar to compete in an unprecedented seventh World Cup.
Manager Lionel Scaloni has structured the national team to accommodate this luxury. The surrounding Argentine players effectively double their work rate, undertaking the defensive labor so that their captain can preserve his energy for decisive moments. The strategy continues to bear fruit as Argentina advances further into the knockout stages.