'It's an honour' - Lionel Messi reacts to equalling all-time World Cup goals record as Argentina captain takes inspiration from tennis icon Rafael Nadal

Despite turning 39 next week, Messi showed no signs of slowing down as he tore through the Algeria defence in Kansas City. Speaking after the match with ESPN, the Inter Miami superstar revealed that he has been drawing inspiration from a fellow sporting great to maintain his elite level of performance on the world stage.

"I'm enjoying this, I feel very good and happy on the pitch," Messi said. "I love playing football, it's been my passion since I was a little kid and I always give my best. We're watching a series about Rafael Nadal right now and I feel like him, in that sense, of giving everything and enjoying what you do."

The spectacular hat-trick saw Messi draw level with German icon Miroslav Klose at the top of the all-time World Cup scoring charts. While the world celebrates his latest milestone, the Argentina captain remained typically humble when asked about his place in the history books alongside the game's greatest strikers.

"I don't look at the goals, the records... It's an honour to be with Klose, Ronaldo is there too, [Kylian] Mbappe who scored two today, but they're just statistics, nothing more," he remarked. "Ronaldo was one of the greatest I've ever seen and he's not first. You try to do your best, as always. I didn't see the goals on TV, I was enjoying them with my teammates and my family. I'll watch them properly later."

Despite the historic achievement and the eventual convincing scoreline, the Argentine skipper acknowledged that the match against their African opponents was far from straightforward early on. Reflecting on the victory, he used the opportunity to highlight the rising difficulty of the modern international game.

"They have good players, they are dynamic and we tried to dominate the game, but we struggled with possession, as we generally do, especially in the first half," Messi remarked. "You can see in this World Cup that all the teams are well-prepared, there are strong teams, you can tell that nobody gives anything away."

Reflecting on his storied career with the national team, Messi touched upon the emotional journey from the heartbreak of lost finals to the recent golden era under Lionel Scaloni. He admitted that the perspective in Argentina has shifted significantly since their 2022 triumph in Qatar and Copa America titles.

"There were good times, bad times, many bad times, but luckily things changed and I now enjoy the national team in a different way," he said. "We're a very result-oriented country; we lost three finals in a row and that group was marked by that. After winning, everything we achieved later is valued much more, with a World Cup and two Copa Americas."

He added: "Thank you to the Argentinians for coming, for being here, just like they did in Qatar."

Despite competing in his sixth World Cup, Messi remains physically sharp and mentally hungry. While he laughed off suggestions of playing in a seventh tournament in 2030, he emphasized that his commitment to excellence has never wavered during his time in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.

"I felt good, I prepared as best I could physically to be at the level of my teammates," he said regarding his current form. "Everything that comes next is for me to enjoy; I want to keep competing. In Miami, I never stopped pushing myself, wanting more, giving my best and feeling good mentally and physically. Do I know there are only two back-to-back World Cup champions? Yes, but we must continue like this, give everything for the group, and we will see."

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