Deschamps: What Messi Does Cannot Be Analyzed

Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French national team, praised the Argentine star Lionel Messi after he scored a hat-trick that led Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in the first round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Deschamps said after Messi became the all-time top scorer in the World Cup, equaling Miroslav Klose: "What Lionel Messi is doing now is not something that can be analyzed like regular football anymore. It's something you just watch and accept as greatness unfolding before you in real-time."

He added: "As a coach, you spend days preparing for organization, control, and balance, then a player like him enters the field and changes everything in ways you can't fully plan for."

He continued: "To equal Miroslav Klose's World Cup record with a hat-trick in a single match against a strong Algerian team, at this stage of his career, is no longer just a performance, but football history being rewritten before our eyes."

The French coach explained: "I have faced great teams and remarkable players, participated in finals and matches under immense pressure, but the way Messi creates danger out of nothing is something that takes away any sense of comfort from the opponent."

He added: "You can defend perfectly for a full 89 minutes, adhering to all instructions and tactical discipline, and then in just one second, something happens that destroys everything you've built throughout the match."

He continued: "At a certain point, you realize that it's not about stopping it completely, but about trying to minimize the damage it can cause at any moment."

Deschamps concluded his remarks by saying: "What makes it even more impressive is his mentality; he doesn't play as someone chasing records, but as a player who is still hungry for more, even though he has broken almost all records. In football, there are great players, there are legends, and then there is Messi, who does things that seem almost impossible to replicate."