India, Sept. 1 -- Ahead of every football World Cup, the coaching staff of participating teams dig deep in an attempt to find the perfect combination of tactics and talent. Except Argentina. They did things differently because they had Lionel Messi - the talent and the tactic, all rolled into one. The 39-year-old's retirement from international football marks the end of an era in which where Argentina employed a simple tactic: give it to Messi.

It worked, too. Affectionately known as "La Pulga," or "The Flea" in Spanish, Messi played 34 matches over six World Cup tournaments, scoring 21 goals and 12 assists. Of these 21 goals, 15 came in the last two tournaments where Argentina finished as winners (2022) and runner-up (2026). This is imp...