Lionel Messi optimises physical output at 39 as Argentina reach World Cup semi-finals
Argentina’s 39-year-old captain has reached a World Cup semi-final against England by walking nearly half the time, demonstrating a tactical evolution that is reshaping how the global football industry values veteran players.
Argentina will face England in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday in Atlanta after Lionel Messi led his nation to the last four. The 39-year-old has scored eight goals and provided three assists at the tournament, leading the Golden Boot race alongside France’s Kylian Mbappe.
Data shows he has walked 47 per cent of his total distance, the highest proportion recorded for any outfield player, while averaging just 8.2km per 90 minutes. His sprint volume has dropped to an average of 2.7 per match, down from 5.3 four years ago.
Despite this reduced physical load, his 33 shots and 21 created chances amount to 54 combined goal involvements, a figure not seen since Diego Maradona in 1986. This extreme physical optimisation matters for the European football market, where club valuations and wage structures are heavily tied to athletic metrics.
Messi’s ability to dominate while minimising energy expenditure proves that cognitive efficiency and tactical positioning can offset the physical decline inherent in aging athletes. This is the latest phase in a career that began with a 2003 debut against Jose Mourinho’s Porto.
Managers like Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola systematically repositioned him, moving him from the wing to a false nine in a 6-2 victory over Real Madrid in May 2009. As Barcelona’s midfield evolved and players like Xavi and Andres Iniesta departed, Messi adapted again.
He transitioned into an organiser, registering 22 assists and 25 goals in 33 La Liga matches during the 2019-20 season, and later recording more assists than goals during his first year at Paris St-Germain. "I didn't used to pay much attention to tactics, but with Guardiola I learned an enormous amount about spaces and ball retention," Messi told journalist Juan Pablo Varsky in 2024.
He added that this education taught him how the game really works, a principle he has applied throughout his career. This tactical mastery is essential in a sport that has become increasingly demanding.
Football is much more tactical and physical than before, meaning players find fewer spaces than they did in the past, Messi told Zinedine Zidane in 2023. Now playing for Inter Miami and captaining Argentina, Messi relies on reading the game rather than raw pace.
As his childhood idol Pablo Aimar observed, the last Messi is always the best Messi, a sentiment that continues to define his unprecedented longevity.
