Argentine journalist Enrique Macaya Márquez

Just as Argentina has a star player like Messi, they also have a star journalist like the one in this photo right in front of you!

The man in front of you is Argentine journalist “Enrique Macaya Márquez,” and I want you to realize that this man is 91 years old and is covering his 18th World Cup in his career, from the 1958 World Cup to the 2026 World Cup!

What happened was that Enrique was present today at the press conference held by Argentina’s coach, “Lionel Scaloni,” and he asked him about Messi: Will he start the match against Jordan?

The great thing is that Scaloni told him he’d refused to answer any reporter who asked that question, but when the question comes from you, I have to answer you and tell you that Messi won’t start the match because I respect you so much and am proud of you. And at the end of the press conference, Scaloni went down to hug him and asked to take a photo with him!

Imagine a journalist who saw Argentina win the World Cup with Mario Kempes in 1978, with Maradona in 1986, and with Messi in 2022—and who continues to this day, at the age of 91, to cover soccer’s greatest event.

He’s got the journalists wrapped around his finger.

These stats right in front of you completely debunk the narrative that Messi shines at the World Cup because his teammates set him up!

These stats show that Messi is the second-highest player in the World Cup for through passes with 4, tied with Bruno Fernandes and just one behind Olise, and these through passes are the ones that bypass the entire defensive line and create a scoring opportunity for a teammate!

Not only that, but Messi is also the second-highest player in the World Cup to have made forward runs with the ball for a distance of at least 5 meters that ultimately resulted in shots on goal for his team—4 times, trailing only Yildiz, who had 6!

What’s even more impressive is that while Messi is putting up these numbers in midfield, he’s also the World Cup’s top scorer with 5 goals—scoring 2.43 goals above his expected goals (xG) of 2.57. He’s the highest among all World Cup players in terms of the difference between actual goals and expected goals, meaning he’s not just a “finisher” as some have portrayed him!

We’re talking about a player who demonstrates this versatility in both scoring and playmaking—and he’s 39 years old.

That’s why Messi will remain exceptional for the rest of his career, because he’s the only one capable of creating opportunities and converting them with such precision.

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