These are days of tranquility and gestures of satisfaction for Leone Messi. He himself confessed that he had a bad time last season due to his adaptation to France and al Paris Saint Germain and for other problems that have affected him, such as having suffered the coronavirus at the beginning of the year. But all of this has been stored in a trunk that you will never want to reopen.

And now, here on American soil with the Argentine national team, Rosario adds certainties about returning to the highest levels, adding goals and this Tuesday against Jamaica (from 21:00 Argentina time) in the last test before the World Cup in Qatar 2022 can add another important personal brand to get on the podium of the top scorers at national level and arrive well toned (even more so). The legend, sooner or later, will continue to grow.

With his two shouts against Honduras in Miami, the 10 of the national team have reached 88 entries in 163 games (an average of one goal every two presentations) and thus finished within one of the top three top scorers with their respective nations. The breakdown: 48 playthroughs, 23 penalties, 8 free kicks, 6 straight and 2 headers. Of the total, 41 were in friendly matches, 28 in qualifiers, 13 in Copa América and 6 in the World Cup.

He had already overtaken Ferenc Puskas (84 goals in 89 appearances in Hungary and Spain) by scoring five against Estonia in Pamplona on the previous tour. And if Leo scores a goal at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, he’ll equal third place Mokhtar Dahari, the Malaysian striker who from 1972 to 1985 played 143 games for his team and scored 89 goals. Now, even the albiceleste captain has the chance to overtake him and to be alone on the last step of the podium if he seals a brace or more.

In that case it will only be surpassed by the Iranian wings come on, who between 1993 and 2006 scored 109 goals in 149 games played. Above all it is Cristiano Ronaldo, which seems unattainable as it continues to increase its figures as it continues to be active in Portugal. The Insect He has 117 goals (and counting) in 188 games with the Portuguese cast. There are 29 differences between Cristiano and La Pulga.

But, according to what is said around him, It is not something that takes away hours of sleep from Messi. More than his individual career, he aims above all to pull the car of this Selection, which sees him as standard bearer of the ribbon, to try to transform in Qatar all the illusion that exists today around this group into a reality that exceeds the the last wish of all: to raise the gold trophy, the one that has seen pass so closely and without being able to touch it in Brazil 2014.

This will inevitably lead him to achieve more records within reach for him. When the list of 26 players for the November appointment in the Middle East is made official, will be confirmed as the Argentine to participate in multiple World Cups: five (Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, the previous ones), a record that he will not share with any fellow countryman. This will put him in the same register as the Mexicans Antonio Carbajal, Rafael Marquez, the German Lothar Matthaus and the Italian Gianluigi Buffón. Cristiano and Mexicans Guillermo Ochoa and Andrés Guardado will also be at their fifth World Cup.

If Leo contests the three crosses of the group stage (Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland) He will remain the Argentine footballer with the most matches in the World Cup (19 years old) beating a certain Diego Armando Maradona (21). Another piece of information that can serve as a motivation (if you need more): if Messi plays all seven matches in Qatar, he will in turn be above Matthaus, who currently holds the record of being the most capped in the World Cup, with 25.

A bonus track: you can also become the player who has worn the captain’s ribbon multiple times in a World Cup. Maradona leads that ranking with 16 appearances, followed by the Italian Dino Zoff and the Mexican Rafa Márquez, with 14. There are several with 13 appearances and also with 12, as in the case of Messi (who added one in 2010, seven in 2014 and four in 2018)

But for all this there is still a little more to do. Now, Messi tries to close this latest Argentina tour with more smiles. Miami has reconfirmed its great start to the season at PSG. And Jamaica will be the current rival in the state of New Jersey with the idea of ​​putting the bow on the set-up in a national team that gets more and more excited.

New Jersey, United States. Special delivery.