With legacy intact, 'liberated' Messi can enjoy last hurrah

When a euphoric Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar at around 9 p.m. on December 18, 2022, he finally had nothing left to prove.
Argentina's captain already had every possible accolade at club level, including eight Ballons d'Or as the world's best player. Yet until that night the World Cup had eluded him and kept him in the shadow of Diego Maradona in Argentine eyes, reports Reuters.
Now, as a world champion, Messi heads into the 2026 tournament at peace. Whatever his body - ageing by footballers' standards - manages this time round, his legacy is intact.
"You see the happiness that Leo has: he's liberated," said Jorge Valdano, a former Argentina striker who played in the Maradona-inspired team that won the World Cup in 1986.
Messi turns 39 this month and has had plenty of physical niggles in recent years.
Yet he could still play a big role, potentially as a game-changing substitute if unable to manage full games but certainly as an inspiration and father figure within the squad.
"From a physical standpoint, things change, not only for Messi but for everyone," said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who is realistic about his prized asset.
"The fact that he has won (a World Cup) won't change his innate competitiveness. But it's true that it has given him complete fulfilment.
"There can be no doubting him now. He did it, and from here on in he can look at things with a fresh perspective."
Messi has continued to impress at MLS team Inter Miami in the twilight of his career. He has guided them to three trophies, become their all-time top scorer and was the first player to win MLS Most Valuable Player in consecutive seasons.
During Argentina's World Cup qualifying campaign, he finished as the group's top scorer with eight goals in 12 games.
At World Cups, he is Argentina´s youngest scorer aged 18 and all-time top scorer with 13 goals to Maradona´s eight. His 26 World Cup appearances are the most in the tournament's history.
Only two years ago Germany's Florian Wirtz was completing a dream season with Bayer Leverkusen, winning a German league and Cup double undefeated while also reaching the Europa League final.
With Euro 2024 awaiting, the attacking midfielder was hailed as Germany's next big star, destined for success.
Fast forward to 2026 and the 23-year-old has just wrapped up what has been a frustrating first season at Liverpool for him after his 125-million-euros move last year.
He had to endure a slow-burning period of adjustment and struggled to find his footing for months.
It was 16 Premier League matches before his first direct goal involvement for the club and he initially showed little of the creativity and pace that made him one of the most exciting prospects of his generation and a fan favourite back home.
Wirtz netted just five times and delivered three assists in 33 Premier League matches, failing to live up to his price tag.
He did gradually improve midway through the campaign and Germany fans are hoping it is the start of a rise in form that will peak at the World Cup in North America.
Success has eluded Wirtz on the international stage with a quarter-final spot at Euro 2024 in front of a home crowd his best record with Germany so far.
As a 19-year-old, Wirtz was set for his first World Cup in 2022 but a cruciate ligament tear meant he missed out. Germany suffered their second consecutive first-round loss at the tournament in Qatar for their worst record at the finals.
When it comes to this year's World Cup, however, Wirtz is very clear about what his and the team's goals are.
"We are a big nation and we don't need to make ourselves small for anyone," he told reporters in March after his stunning double earned a 4-3 comeback win over Switzerland in a friendly.