Lionel Messi’s amazing reason for walking during games revealed in incredible World Cup stat
Lionel Messi spends a lot of time strolling around the pitch at the World Cup, but there’s a smart reason behind it. In his sixth—and maybe final—World Cup, Messi is shining again, scoring seven goals and becoming the top scorer in World Cup history.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is aiming to add more goals in the round of 16 against Egypt, while helping Argentina get closer to winning back-to-back World Cups and adding a fourth star to their badge. Messi’s first World Cup was 20 years ago, yet at 39, he’s still playing at an incredible level.
This time, he’s working his magic in every game without running around much. When you watch him play, Messi often looks relaxed and not very involved, walking calmly before suddenly bursting into action.
Messi has had to change his style to keep playing at such a high level. He’s never been a fan of running without the ball, and he’s shared why he chooses to walk during games. In an interview with Clank Media, he said: “When I was at Newell’s, we had to run a lot, and I used to hide behind a tree because running without the ball was never my thing. I’m very self-critical and know what I’m doing right or wrong. When I walk, I watch the opponent’s moves, how my team positions itself without the ball, and look for chances to start a counterattack. I don’t care about GPS or stats—I never cared how much I ran in a game.”
Pep Guardiola, who helped Messi grow as a player, said that even when Messi is walking, he’s still very much in the game. He watches for space and spots weak points in the defense. More recently, England’s David Beckham shared that Messi gave advice to a young player at Inter Miami: to walk more during games because “you see more.” Beckham called this advice “incredible.”
According to FIFA, Messi ranks 343rd for distance covered in the World Cup, having run just 27 kilometers in five games. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague added on BBC 5 Live that Messi covers about 6.6 km per game, with 62% of that being walking. Balague believes these numbers mean Messi can play in a record seventh World Cup if needed.
Balague said, “If you raise the 62% to 75%, he will still make it. He’s the best goalscorer in the World Cup, MLS for two years, and the qualifiers.” This surprised ex-Manchester United players Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt when they heard it on their podcast.
Messi’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, has found a way to let Messi focus on scoring while the rest of the Argentina team does more running and hard work. This strategy has worked well so far, and it may continue as they aim for more success.