Lionel Messi delivers results while walking on the pitch: A new record for the Argentine star

Ahead of the World Cup semi-final, Argentina captain Lionel Messi continues to amaze fans and experts with his playing style. Although modern football demands high speed and relentless movement, Messi is outsmarting his opponents with a completely different strategy. Analysis of his movement on the pitch shows that the player spends most of the game simply walking. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

According to statistics published by the BBC, Lionel Messi has covered nearly 47 percent of his total distance in the current tournament while walking. This is the highest figure among all outfield players in the competition. Experts evaluate this not as physical fatigue, but as a rational way to conserve energy and save strength for decisive moments.

Skill behind the statistics

Looking at the numbers, Messi covers an average of 8.2 kilometers every 90 minutes. The number of his sprints during the game has also decreased significantly — from 5.3 four years ago to 2.7 now. However, this lack of intensity has not negatively affected his efficiency at all. On the contrary, he has managed to take 33 shots and create 21 dangerous chances so far.

With this performance, Lionel Messi is showing the best efficiency since the record set by the legendary Diego Maradona at the 1986 World Cup. According to Goal.com, even though the player's movement on the pitch has decreased, his impact on the game has increased. This indicates that the experienced forward's ability to read the game has now become his main weapon.

Speaking about his tactical changes, Messi emphasized that his time playing under Pep Guardiola was a great school for him. "I didn't pay much attention to tactics before. But with Guardiola, I learned to understand spaces, control the ball, and how the game actually works," says the Argentina captain. According to him, modern football has become much more complex tactically and physically than before.

Situation before the semi-final

Currently, Lionel Messi is leading the top scorer race alongside Kylian Mbappé. He has 8 goals and 3 assists to his name. The Argentina national team aims to become the first team since 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup titles. To do this, they must overcome the England hurdle in the semi-final.

Stopping Messi will be a huge task for the England national team. According to statistics, in Messi's last 15 matches, only the Poland national team has prevented him from scoring or providing an assist. The match at the Atlanta stadium is expected to be not only a clash between two strong teams but also the next test for Messi's "winning by walking" strategy.