Messi is old, short and slow. How is he still dominating at the World Cup?

Lionel Messi, 39 years old and 1.70 metres tall, is performing at an elite level at the 2026 World Cup despite his age and physical limitations. He has scored six goals in the tournament, tied for the most alongside France's Kylian Mbappé. Analysts attribute his continued dominance to a cognitive skill known as 'scanning', which compensates for his reduced athleticism.