A giant Leo Messi shirt is carried in the air by a helicopter over his hometown Rosario in Argentina ahead of the World Cup semi-final (Twitter)
We have never seen this Lionel Messi at the World Cup.
We saw Messi like this, even better, in Barcelona for a long time.
There were also small moments in Paris Saint-Germain, and the admiration and appreciation for the things he does with the ball were not born last night (Tuesday).
They are there, and his legacy will live on - with a World Cup win and even if he doesn't lift the trophy at the end of Sunday's final.
The 69th minute of the semi-final against Croatia at the iconic stadium in Lusail will go down in the most significant moments in the history of the World Cup.
Because it was Messi's pure moment.
Nahuel Molina sent an outside ball to Julian Albers.
A small pass from the striker and the ball reached number 10. In front of him stood the best stopper in the current tournament, the man who received from the first minute the task of accompanying the Argentinian captain everywhere on the field.
There was a lot of logic in Zlatko Dalic's decision to appoint Yoshko Gabbariol as Messi's personal guard: he is significantly taller than him, and stronger than him.
In the first five games in the World Cup, his opponents managed to dribble past him only once.
Guardiola could, in Dalic's mind, get along with Messi.
Messi passed the ball over the outstretched leg of Guardiola.
The Croatian brakeman still had time to catch up with the little magician, and even saw Diane Lovren and Josip Juranovic helping behind him.
But for one moment, Gabriel stopped, and at the same second, Messi picked up speed.
In the change of movement, he once again overtook the brake, and thus passed it for the second time in five seconds.
Messi showed that despite 15 years of difference between the two, he is still faster and more agile.
He entered the box and scored Alvarez's second goal, and Argentina's third.
Despite a 15 year difference, he is faster and more agile.
Messi (Photo: Reuters)
This move by Messi will remain as one of his winning images in this World Cup.
At the age of 35, he runs even less than before, focusing mainly on the attacking game.
But do you remember Messi being so competitive, so vocal, so involved even in things that don't move with the ball?
Throughout the game he turns to the referee Daniela Orsato, energizes his friends, looks for the conflict with the opposing players.
Doesn't matter if they are Dutch, Mexican or Croatian.
So many times it was said about him that in the national team matches he drops his shoulders when he doesn't go, that he doesn't reach the knockout stages in the World Cup.
But the Messi of the 2022 World Cup is a different Messi.
He is freed from his shackles, if there were any in the team.
In Argentina, they are eager to compare his character to that of Maradona.
This is probably exaggerated, but he is involved, eager, fighting for his country.
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Runs less, focuses on the attack - and reaps the rewards (Photo: Reuters)
From the middle of the first half he carried a slight hamstring injury, and at every short break he grabbed his hamstring.
But from the 30th minute everything was released.
In a move where the number 10 wasn't really involved, Enso Fernandez found Alvarez with a wonderful deep ball that was thwarted by Dominik Libakovic, and so the man who had not scored in the previous four tournaments at the knockout stage, scored a third straight knockout game.
And really, from the 30th minute it was a different Messi.
Not the one who sometimes disappears for long minutes, waiting for his moment.
He was the player with the most touches of the ball from then on, recorded five dribbles, and completed a fourth game in the World Cup with a goal and an assist.
Needless to say, no player in history had done this before him.
These are not the only impressive numbers: Messi equaled Luther Mathews with 25 World Cup appearances.
In the final he will break the record and be alone at the top.
He scored his 11th goal and became Argentina's top scorer in the World Cup.
He equaled Maradona in the number of assists - eight.
He has countless titles, but only one is missing.
The one that Maradona has, even if he doesn't have one.
Is there any point in comparing? (Photo: GettyImages, ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP)
People will continue to compare and rank.
Is he bigger than Diego?
And if he doesn't win on Sunday, will it matter?
The answer probably depends on your year of birth.
Maybe no one will tickle Pele for you, maybe Maradona was the greatest.
Many will say Messi, but what does it really matter?
So he is first and he is third.
In this tournament, Messi shows the world that the most complete player who ever walked on the soccer field is also a leader who dares to get dirty for his team, for his country.
who understands that the band of warriors around him is ready to go into battle because they know their leader really wants it more than anyone else.
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