MAJESTIC. MAGIC. MESSI.

As the 38-year-old reminded the world once again why he is football royalty, Swaroop Swaminathan tries to make sense of his longevity & why it is a privilege to watch him live...

- Swaroop Swaminathan

IN some days, you just have to be thankful. Thankful to Lionel Messi. Thankful for the privilege of watching him for over two decades.

Morning, noon or night, you are never far away from a new Messi moment. Even if you have seen moments like those at least 10 other times, there’s always something new. A Messi moment is like that favourite bar of ice-cream. So good you can’t just have one. Or two. Or 10. You keep going back because... well, woof. It’s that good.

In Kansas on Tuesday evening, he provided three more moments of magic to illuminate the global stage yet again.

Many superlatives have been used to describe him. The one word to describe him in the hours after the hat-trick — his first-ever at the World Cup — won't be a superlative. Longevity. For 20 years and six World Cups, his sui generis capacity to excel on the brightest stage has never been in doubt. In 2006, he became his country’s youngest goal-scorer. In 2026, he is now his country’s oldest goal-scorer.