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If there was any doubt about how deeply Lionel Messi's Argentina teammates revere him, the squad's secret plan to each wear a T-shirt featuring a personal photo of themselves with their captain made that profound devotion unmistakably clear.
Messi celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday, meaning he will become the 12th outfield player to feature at a World Cup after reaching that milestone when Argentina faces Jordan on Saturday.
To celebrate the occasion, the national team arranged a birthday cake for Messi from Kansas City bakery Pan Caliente, founded by Argentine chef Silvia Miguel, along with some specially made commemorative clothing.
Every player chose a different photo — typically one of themselves embracing Messi during an Argentina international or posing alongside the World Cup trophy from 2022. Even the team's cook, Antonia Farías, and Diego Iacovone, the dedicated squad barbecue specialist (a role that naturally warrants its own professional), joined in the celebration.
Each shirt carried the same message on the back, reading: "To you, who changed our lives, who gave us unforgettable moments, who made us believe that dreams are possible... The best part wasn't watching it—it was experiencing it with you!
"Happy birthday, Captain—we love you.
"May you be immensely happy!"
Secret to Argentina's World Cup Success Lies in Messi Mania
This is an Argentina generation that grew up idolizing their No. 10. When Messi stepped away from international football (for the first time) in 2018, a devastated 17-year-old wrote an open letter begging him to reconsider. "Do whatever you want, Lionel, but please think about staying. But stay to have fun—that's what these people have taken away from you... Play to have fun, because when you're having fun, you have no idea how much fun we're having," wrote a teenager named Enzo Fernández.
Julián Alvarez was one of many young fans who once nervously convinced Messi to stop for a photo. Now he has one of those moments immortalized on a commemorative birthday T-shirt. Nico Paz still struggles to believe the image on his shirt is real. "Every time I see him in pictures, I can't believe it," the young playmaker said. "Going from watching him on TV to actually playing alongside him was surreal for me." Paz was so awestruck by Messi that he couldn't find words the first time they shared a dressing room.
While this admiration may be extraordinary, it creates a clear objective for the national team: get the very best out of Messi.
This is a squad featuring $100 million midfielders, the most coveted striker in Europe, and one of the finest tournament goalkeepers in recent memory — yet everyone operates in service of ensuring the 39-year-old drifting across the top of the pitch is given every opportunity to shine.
Messi has netted all five of Argentina's World Cup goals this summer, which comes as little surprise given that virtually no one else has attempted a shot. The rare efforts taken by players not wearing the No. 10 shirt have almost always been engineered by the scheming left-footer, who has either taken or created 81% of Argentina's attempts on goal so far.
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There is no resentment over Messi monopolizing shooting opportunities — something Cristiano Ronaldo has faced criticism for at this tournament — as his teammates are clearly doing everything possible to feed him the ball. That includes handling the bulk of the running. Alvarez was given just 26 minutes against Austria, yet covered 0.24 km at high speed according to SofaScore. Messi, by comparison, covered 0.26 km.
It might appear shortsighted — if not counterproductive — to deliberately limit the contributions of 25 other players in order to maximize one man's output. Yet, as Argentina demonstrated four years ago, when that one man is Messi, it is a strategy that can deliver World Cup glory.