What Messi taught me about getting old(er) this World Cup | Opinion

Man, it's hard getting old. Things ache, hair thins, sleep is harder to get, you move slower – and you just can't dribble through rows of world-class defenders like you used to.

Instead, you have to settle for two incredibly sublime assists to beat England in the last minutes of a World Cup semifinal – sending your team, for the second time in a row, to the championship game of soccer.

If you're Lionel Messi, that is.

I was actually rooting for England in that July 15 semifinal. And I wouldn't mind seeing Spain beat Argentina in the July 19 final game. Just to see a different team lift the trophy. Argentina has won the once-every-four-year tournament in 1978, 1986 and 2022. Spain won in 2010.

But as an old(er) guy, I'm sure I'll have wide grin on my face if somehow the 39-year-old Messi finds a way to conjure up his special magic and put La Albiceleste back on the podium.

In normal human years, 39 is far from geriatric. But soccer is mostly a young person's sport. (Just ask my knees and ankles on Wednesday morning after I've spent the evening chasing a ball in the over-40 league.)

To give some perspective, Mexican midfielder Gilberto Mora played in this cup at the age of 17, making him Messi's junior by 22 years. And in the final, Argentina will almost certainly face Spain's superstar winger Lamine Yamal, who just turned 19 and who – get this – as a baby was in a photoshoot with Messi.

So how has Messi, arguably the greatest player of all time, survived and thrived well past his chronological prime?

After years of watching the age-defying 5-foot-7 human soccer tornado, I have some thoughts. And I think they apply to more than just the sport.

Walk more. And maybe stand still.

Starting as a teenager for Barcelona, Messi was known for frighteningly quick and agile dribbling.

He would often dash from the right side of the field toward the center, zigzagging with the ball through several defenders and bending a shot with his left foot perfectly into the far side of the goal. Sometimes goalkeepers wouldn't even bother to dive.

But in the 2026 World Cup, Messi could be found mostly in the middle of the field walking, or even standing still.

He has basically come to terms with the decline of some of his abilities. And he's realized that behaving like they are still at their peak won't benefit him – and could in fact work against him.

Use what you've learned

The reason Messi is able to spend so much time barely moving is because he's tapping into decades of hard-earned lessons. Like, sometimes you can do a lot of running, but it might be better just to stay where you are.

And by being a steady presence, in one place, you provide stability for those around you who know you will be there. And they will pass to you.

Rely on others

Messi in his 22-year career has scored some delightful solo goals that seemed to defy the laws of physics as he left defenders and play-by-play commentators stumbling to try to keep up. But as he has slowed with age, he has made fewer long runs and is passing more.

He appears to have determined that no matter how immortal he felt when he was younger, he needs people to help him through difficult times and inevitable declines.

Save your energy for what matters

Still, there are games when the best players must step up and do something big. Messi, obviously, can do that. But not as much as he used to. That's why we've seen games like the late come-from-behind win against England. Or a similar occurrence July 7 when Egypt went up 2-0 over Argentina with about 20 minutes remaining.

Messi (who had earlier missed a penalty kick) seemed to flip a switch and tap into something he had been saving, leading a 3-2 comeback with an assist and a goal.

But maybe the most important thing that I've learned from Messi about aging well is that we can't all be Messi. Maybe our wins are rare. Maybe we will struggle. But we can do it with some grace, as long as we are realistic, pace ourselves and reach out when we need help.

Joel Burgess is a Voices editor for USA TODAY Opinion.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What Messi taught me about getting old(er) this World Cup | Opinion

Reporting by Joel Burgess, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 18, 2026 at 1:01 AM.