Former Super Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh has hailed Lionel Messi’s latest World Cup performance, describing the Argentina superstar as the “AI version” of himself after his stunning hat-trick against Algeria.
Messi produced another memorable display as defending champions Argentina opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory, scoring all three goals just days before celebrating his 39th birthday.
The hat-trick also saw the Argentine legend draw level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 FIFA World Cup goals, further cementing his place among the greatest players in the tournament’s history.
Speaking on Global Football Insights with Oliseh on Wednesday, the former Super Eagles manager admitted he was astonished by both the quality of Messi’s performance and the manner in which he dominated the game despite being 38 years old.
“This is Lionel Messi AI. There is no other way to describe this. Never in the history of football has a 38-year-old man performed as Messi did yesterday,” Oliseh said.
“Not only did he score three goals in an opening match, but the manner in which he scored them is remarkable.”
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Oliseh, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career with clubs including Ajax, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, said Messi’s display had forced him to rethink a long-standing nickname previously used for the Argentine icon.
“A childhood friend of mine has consistently referred to Messi as the Oracle for the past 15 years. Based on what I observed yesterday, I will now refer to him as Lionel Messi AI,” he said.
“It is not solely due to his three goals, but rather the manner in which he achieved them.”
The former Nigerian international was particularly impressed by Messi’s technique and finishing, highlighting the quality of the Argentina captain’s third goal.
“Now, you know I have a passion for shooting. The way he struck the ball for the third goal, the precision, the movement. And Messi does not merely score tap-in goals,” Oliseh added.
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