In a career filled with individual accolades and more team trophies than any other player in history, the one title that had long eluded Lionel Messi was the FIFA World Cup. He finally achieved that dream with Argentina in Qatar 2022, and now one of his rivals in that tournament has revealed a curious anecdote from the experience.
Jackson Irvine, midfielder for FC St. Pauli in the Bundesliga and a key figure for the Australian national team, recently spoke with former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, and Messi was a central topic of their conversation. Irvine shared some memorable details from facing Argentina in Qatar.
“Funny story, our coach refused to say his name, Graham Arnold,” the midfielder began. “We did our meeting, our tactical meeting the day before the game and he just kept calling him ‘the number 10.’ He was like, ‘You know the number 10, he likes to come in on his left.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I know he likes coming on his left, mate. I’ve been watching him for 20 years.’”
Argentina and Australia met in the Round of 16 at the last World Cup, with the South Americans claiming a 2–1 victory. Messi scored the opener late in the first half. “Everybody goes about the walking. The looking like lack of interest. But he’s analyzing. He’s watching behaviors, he’s finding space. And for 42 minutes we were in that game,” Irvine recalled.
Lionel Messi and Jackson Irvine react during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Australia on December 03, 2022.
“And then, you know, it’s a wide free kick, you lose shape and he smells it. And he comes to life, and you see he knows, ‘They’re not looking at me now.’ And he lights up,” said the St. Pauli player. “Doesn’t lash at it, doesn’t smash it. He just rolls it in the corner like he’s done nearly a thousand times. That’s why he’s the greatest for me. It’s about those moments.”
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Joe Hart also praises Messi
During the same conversation, Joe Hart asked Jackson Irvine whether Messi is the best player he’s ever faced. “By a country mile. For so many different reasons,” the Australian midfielder replied, before turning the question back to the former goalkeeper.
“Lionel Messi, when I played against him, we were a good team. Manchester City, playing Barcelona. Really good team,” Hart began. “And you couldn’t help… the conversation was just about him. ‘How are we going to stop him? What’s it gonna be like?’ And then when he steps up and plays on that level… We need superstars in the game, right? We need superheroes. And he certainly is that.”
A few of Lionel Messi’s records
The praise from Joe Hart and Jackson Irvine, like that from countless other players and coaches, is backed not only by the magic the Argentine forward displays on the pitch, but also by the countless records he has shattered.
Messi is the most decorated player in soccer history with 46 career titles, the all-time leader in Ballon d’Or awards with eight, the second-highest goal scorer ever with 874 goals (only behind Cristiano Ronaldo), and the all-time leader in assists with 390.
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