Lionel Messi may be the greatest footballer of all time, but he isn’t perfect in everything.
Messi is the World Cup’s top goal scorer with six so far and will be hoping to add more as Argentina aim to defend their crown.
Age means that the forward isn’t as energetic as he once was, contributing to him being lower in the pecking order.
Lionel Messi bottom of the list for running stats
We can probably forgive Messi at the age of 39 for not running the hard yards that he used to do.
Opta reported that he is bottom of a 618-strong list for the amount of distance covered per game.
In his three appearances, Messi has run an average of 8.1km per 90 minutes.
To the average person like you and me, that is still a lot, but is miles off the average of most players competing.
Having said that, the proof is in the pudding that you don’t need to run around all game to make an impact.
His six goals helped the defending world champions win their group with a 100 per cent record and they now have a favourable run to the final.
Argentina’s style is built to protect Lionel Messi
Lionel Scaloni has managed to mould his team into a side that is designed to protect Messi.
At the 2022 World Cup, Rodrigo De Paul was tasked with being his personal bodyguard, following him around to ensure he could give Messi the creative license to do what he wants.
That is a similar theme at the 2026 edition too, with Messi essentially excused from all defensive work and running, unless in possession.
It is a method that has yielded plenty of success, and is expected to continue doing so.
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