At 39, superstar Lionel Messi continues to dazzle the 2026 World Cup with his exceptional talent, through a striking blend of limited effort and decisive bursts, presenting the image of a 'beast' dedicating himself to fulfilling his mission with the Argentine national football team, which qualified to face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday. The legs of the little dribbler with the golden feet are no longer what they were in the past, as he is often seen walking while all his teammates run, intervene, and move around him, but that seems more like a plan, a way to adapt to the current version of Messi. German Ralf Rangnick, Austria's coach, said: 'He likes to stay on the edge and sometimes prefers to stop in front of the goal in an offside position... This does not mean they are playing with ten men, but that they have one less player in the counter-press. And that is precisely what makes him extremely dangerous, because he can find himself unmarked.' Despite this precise analysis offered by Rangnick on the eve of facing Argentina, the veteran coach was shocked by two flashes from the Argentine number 10 (2-0) in the group stage. The former Barcelona captain knows how to conserve his energy and deliver his blows at the right moment, even at the end of the match, as he showed in the round of 16 against Egypt (3-2), in a match that saw an exciting finish during which he created a goal and scored another within five minutes. The Argentine newspaper Clarin wrote in praise: 'Honestly, it doesn't matter if they say he walks on the pitch, because in football the winner is not the one who runs more, but the one who plays better, and no one plays like him.' This walking style did not escape the keen eye of the BBC: 'Messi watches. Messi waits. Messi conserves his energy for decisive moments. The body may be slower, but the mind remains sharp as a blade. And genius is eternal.' In the United States, the Inter Miami player is putting up staggering numbers: eight goals in five matches, tying with Frenchman Kylian Mbappé (in six matches), and surpassing Norwegian Erling Haaland (7 goals) and Englishman Harry Kane (6 goals). He could have reached double figures had he not missed two penalties, against Austria and Egypt. These failures angered the Argentine captain each time, turning his frustration into motivation to rediscover the version that his teammates revere and give their all for. Lautaro Martinez summed it up: 'Messi is our balance, our guide, our leader. We will continue to give everything for him.' And although 'The Flea' may disappear for periods during a match, he pounces with double energy when his team is trailing or under heavy pressure, making his impact undeniable. When Egypt went 2-0 up, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the former Swedish international striker, said on Fox Sports: 'We saw that something had changed... He became a beast.' He was 'on a mission' and would not 'let go' of his prey, adding 'Once he started the chase, no one could stop him.' For his part, Frenchman Thierry Henry, his former Barcelona teammate, commented: 'With Leo, sometimes you must not wake the beast.'