Josh Hart doesn’t do subtle. The Knicks guard watched Argentina claw back from a 2-0 hole against Egypt in the World Cup quarterfinals and saw all he needed to see. Messi ended the debate. Full stop.
“Messi has ended the GOAT conversation,” Hart posted on X after Argentina’s 3-2 win. The defending champions looked dead early. Egypt punched them in the mouth. Messi missed a penalty in the first half too. But Argentina doesn’t fold, and neither does he.
Messi tied the game in the 83rd minute. Enzo Fernandez finished it in extra time. The whole team lifted Messi in the air like he was a trophy themselves. That image alone tells you what Argentina thinks of its captain.
Messi’s World Cup Run Keeps Getting Better
He’s got eight goals and an assist this tournament alone. Career World Cup numbers: 21 goals, nine assists. He passed Miroslav Klose and Marta for the all-time World Cup scoring record. Also played more World Cup matches than anyone — 28. The man is 38 and still doing this.
Off the field, the accolades stack up too. Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year in 2023. Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden in 2024. Net worth north of a billion dollars. But none of that matters when you watch him drag a team back from the brink on a July night in the knockout stage.
Hart, for context, grew up a real soccer fan. Started following the sport during the 2010 World Cup. Backed England because he loved Chelsea guys like Frank Lampard and John Terry. Now he’s got his first NBA title with the Knicks, team’s first since 1973, and he’s watching Messi do stuff he’s never seen before from anyone.
Argentina moves to the semifinals. The GOAT conversation? According to one NBA champion, it’s over.
Leave a Comment