At 39, Lionel Messi Continues to Defy Age as Football's Greatest

On Saturday, June 30, 2018, Argentina and Lionel Messi faced a shocking exit from the World Cup in Russia after losing 4-3 to France in the round of 16. At that time, discussions arose about the potential end of Messi's international career, recalling the missed opportunity in the 2014 final against Germany and imagining him as one of football's greats who never secured a world title.

By then, Messi had participated in four World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018) and was on the verge of retiring from international play before deciding to continue without a clear objective. Years after that moment, the Argentine legend finally led his country to win the World Cup in Qatar 2022. Despite nearing 40, he continues to deliver performances that astonish experts, manipulating opponents and running after the ball with superhero-like agility.

Many global media outlets have explored scientific and technical factors behind Messi's sustained high-level performance, especially as most of his 2014 World Cup final teammates have since retired. Typically, footballers lose speed early in their careers, but Messi defies this trend, with exceptional statistics that challenge conventional logic.

At 39 years old, Messi not only captains the Argentine national team to the 2026 World Cup final but also leads the tournament's scoring charts. He fiercely competes for the titles of top scorer, most assists, number of dribbles, and overall goal contributions. Official statistics reveal that he achieved a higher top speed in the 2026 World Cup than in the 2022 edition, where he guided Argentina to victory and earned the best player award in most matches.

It is clear that Messi has lost the explosive speed that characterized his Barcelona years between 2009 and 2015. According to statistical reports, his peak speed during that period ranged between 32.5 and 33.5 kilometers per hour, occasionally reaching 34 km/h. For comparison, French forward Kylian Mbappé, one of the fastest players globally, recently recorded a speed of 35 km/h. Sports performance experts estimate that footballers lose about 2% of their speed between ages 30 and 35, then approximately 3% annually thereafter, according to ESPN.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, at age 35, Messi's top speed was 29.38 km/h. Although below his previous physical peak, he continued to make a difference through his genius, sharp vision, ability to break defenses, and key passes in the attacking third. In the 2026 World Cup, concluding on Sunday, the Argentine star surprised many by reaching 30.9 km/h against Algeria, where he scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win—a more than 5% increase compared to his 2022 performance.

Despite this increase in top speed, Messi's total distance covered has noticeably decreased over the years. His longest distance in the 2026 tournament was 8.2 kilometers during the epic semifinal against England, completed within 90 minutes. This evidence suggests that time has refined his playing style; he now manages his efforts intelligently and intervenes at crucial moments. Still, his rapid bursts demonstrate that he retains impressive strength and continues to defy physical limits.

Reports from ESPN and the French newspaper Le Parisien indicate that no player over 36 years old has ever achieved such fast sprints in a World Cup match as Messi did in the 2025 edition. So far, Messi has scored eight goals and provided four assists in the 2026 tournament. He has become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 21 goals and has the opportunity to extend this record when Argentina faces Spain in the final on Sunday.