“I don’t spend time thinking about my age”: Lionel Messi’s message before turning 39 after rewriting World Cup history

Lionel Messi has insisted he is not focusing on his age and is only interested in staying fit after rewriting the World Cup record books just two days before his 39th birthday.The Argentina captain scored twice in a 2-0 win over Austria in Texas to become the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s World Cup history while also setting a new record for most wins by any player at the tournament.Messi’s first-half strike took him past Germany great Miroslav Klose’s 16 World Cup goals, while his stoppage-time effort took his tally to 18 goals. The victory also gave Messi his 18th World Cup victory, surpassing Klose’s previous record of 17 victories.

“I just focus on having a good time”

With his 39th birthday approaching on June 24, Messi has made it clear that thoughts of age do not occupy his mind.“I don’t spend time thinking about my age. I simply focus on having a good time,” Messi told reporters after the match. “Physically I feel good and maybe that’s why I’m playing better.”The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also said he was unsure whether he would feature in Argentina’s final Group J clash against Jordan after the defending champions sealed qualification for the round of 32.“The manager (Lionel Scaloni) will decide if I play or not or how much I play,” Messi said. “I feel good and happy to be part of this group that always competes no matter who the opponent is and never lets up.”

Missed penalty “affected us a bit”

Messi’s evening started on a frustrating note after he missed a penalty in the sixth minute. He admitted that the setback had disrupted Argentina’s rhythm.Messi said the missed opportunity affected the team “a little bit”.“We missed two or three clear chances,” he said. “We controlled the game but the ball just didn’t go in. Then we were able to recover, we played very intense, very fast football.“The team competes and competes very well. We can play better or worse, but there is no doubt that we will compete equally in every game, no matter who the opponent is,” he added.The brace also made Messi only the second player after Klos to score four or more goals in three different World Cups and took him to the top of the scoring charts in the ongoing tournament with five goals in two matches.