News Focus
- Lionel Messi targets a record-equalling sixth World Cup tournament with Argentina in North America
- The Inter Miami captain has changed his playing style at least five times throughout his career
- Once a rapid right winger, the veteran now controls games while conserving energy and walking more than running
- His tactical journey spans from Barcelona’s false nine innovation to a deeper playmaking role
Argentina hope to make history by defending their World Cup crown in 2026. If they succeed, Lionel Messi will surely stand at the heart of the campaign. The forward is set to join an elite group of players who have appeared at six World Cup finals.
However, the Messi we see today differs greatly from the teenager who debuted for Barcelona in 2003. Most footballers slow down as they age. The best ones simply change their game. While some stars become penalty-box predators, Messi chose a different path. He did not merely accept physical decline. Instead, he discovered fresh methods to control the sport.
Since that first friendly match against Porto, the Argentine has reinvented himself multiple times. He began as a right winger who loved to dribble past opponents. Ronaldinho predicted stardom for the young talent after watching him train. By 2005, Fabio Capello wanted to sign him immediately after watching him face Juventus.
Frank Rijkaard soon moved him into the centre of the pitch. “Keep him involved,” the coach demanded. Under Pep Guardiola, the evolution accelerated. The manager first used Messi on the right flank. Then, for tactical reasons, he shifted him completely.
The famous change came in May 2009 at the Bernabeu. Guardiola played Messi as a false nine. Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry stretched the defence wide. Messi dropped deep to collect the ball between the lines. Real Madrid’s defenders faced an impossible choice. Follow him and leave gaps, or stay back and give him space. Barcelona won 6-2.
This system was not entirely new. Hungary used a similar approach in 1953. Johan Cruyff also played as a roaming forward. But Messi perfected the role. Between 2011 and 2013, he scored 96 goals in 69 league matches and collected multiple Ballon d’Or awards.
When Xavi and Iniesta left Barcelona, Messi adapted again. He became the ‘enganche’ – the hook. He dropped even deeper to create chances for others. Assists became as important as goals. At Paris Saint-Germain, he provided more assists than scores for the first time in his career.
With Argentina, his story took longer to develop. He became captain in 2011. Three major finals ended in painful defeat. He briefly quit the national team. But he returned stronger and more vocal. He led them to Copa America glory in 2021. Then came the 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar, where he combined the roles of midfielder, leader, and finisher.
Now at Inter Miami, Messi rarely sprints across the pitch. He saves his energy and reads the game from a distance. Critics once attacked his lack of running. Now they recognise it as tactical wisdom. As his childhood idol Pablo Aimar once noted, the latest version of Messi is always the best one.