Messi scores his seventh World Cup goal as Wright and Neville hail 'total control' finish

Lionel Messi scored his seventh goal of the 2026 World Cup as Argentina faced Cape Verde in a last-32 tie in Miami, with the 39-year-old’s composed finish drawing immediate praise from pundits Ian Wright and Gary Neville.

The goal — Messi’s 20th at World Cup level — came from a Lisandro Martinez pass, with Messi bringing the ball under instant control before a steep, laces-driven finish past goalkeeper Vozinha to hand the defending champions the lead.

“We’re dealing with the greatest player that’s ever lived, in some people’s eyes,” Wright said. “It’s the space that Messi has to work in — this touch is elitism, that’s the greatest you can ever do. For mere mortals, it’s quite difficult. Total control, the laces, all laces, it’s total control. You go cold, because he’s in total control of what he’s about to do. When you’re at this level, it’s absolutely fantastic as a forward.”

Neville focused on the deceptive nature of Messi’s movement before the goal. “Think about it from an attacking perspective — if you have a forward moving around, it alerts you,” he said. “If he looks disinterested, you can get lulled into a false sense of security. He looks like he’s not part of the game, then flash, it’s absolutely incredible. He makes the hard things look absolutely incredible.”

Pundit Karen Carney echoed the sentiment, drawing on a predatory analogy. “It’s the element of him just walking — he’s like a lion, stalking his prey,” she said. “Credit to Martinez, he has to see the pass, but the rest is just genius. He’s given me new genius every game.”

The goal also extended Messi’s remarkable run of scoring in eight consecutive World Cup games. The winner of the tie will face Egypt in Atlanta, after the Pharaohs eliminated Australia on penalties.