In the 76th minute, Messi completed his hat-trick, having been teed up by substitute Nico Gonzalez. It was written in the stars.
And it meant that Messi had drawn level at the top of the all-time World Cup finals scoring chart with Germany’s Miroslav Klose.
With his arms raised, his eyes lifted to the sky, and thousands of Argentina fans cheering his name, he took it in. Even for Messi, this felt special. He turned to thank the thousands of supporters watching on as the stadium filled with noise.
As he was substituted, he left the pitch to a standing ovation. His name echoed around Kansas City.
Well beyond the final whistle, thousands of Argentina stayed in the stadium to continue the party.
It was a sea of blue and white, with drums beating relentlessly and Argentina fans in full voice.
Many wore Messi’s name on their backs, others showed off their tattoos of him. His name dominated every conversation.
For them, he is more than a player. ‘Hero’, ‘Idol’, ‘Our son’ are words Argentina fans here used to describe him.
He inspired Argentina to the World Cup four years ago. Who would back against Messi taking his country all the way again?
Even Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, usually the headline act in this stadium, watched on like everyone else, captivated by Messi’s magic.
On a day of superstars, the ageless Argentine stood above them all.
