Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has joined the growing list of admirers praising Lionel Messi after the Argentina captain delivered another landmark performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Messi scored twice as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 in Texas on Monday, a victory that secured the defending champions’ place in the knockout rounds and further strengthened their status among the tournament favourites.
The Argentine icon opened the scoring shortly before half time with a trademark left footed finish following a slick attacking move before adding a second deep into stoppage time. The brace took his tally to 17 World Cup goals, moving him clear of former Germany striker Miroslav Klose as the competition’s outright leading goalscorer.
At 38, Messi continues to defy expectations on football’s biggest stage. His latest display came just days after a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening group match, underlining his enduring influence more than two decades after first emerging on the international scene.
William Troost-Ekong has praised Lionel Messi’s match-winning display against Austria after the Argentina captain became the leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.
Speaking during SuperSport’s World Cup coverage, Troost-Ekong admitted Messi’s ability to continue setting new milestones remains remarkable.
“Messi was very convincing against Austria today. He was the youngest goalscorer and now the oldest goalscorer at the World Cup. He keeps breaking records at the tournament.
“He also showed the human side of him when he missed the penalty. But then, Messi has showed that he’s Messi.”
While much of the post-match discussion centred on Messi’s brilliance, Troost-Ekong also weighed in on a controversial first-half penalty awarded to Argentina after Lautaro Martinez went down inside the box.
The decision sparked protests from Austria captain David Alaba and several teammates before eventually being upheld following a lengthy review.
Troost-Ekong, however, believed the referee reached the correct conclusion.
“The moment Argentina began to impress, you could see there was a tackle. It is pretty clear that there is a touch on Martinez. The question was whether it was before or after he got something on the ball.
“I think it was a simple decision by the referee, it just took a long time to get there.”
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The former Watford defender also highlighted the role captains play during such moments, referencing Alaba’s attempts to influence the discussion with match officials.
“As a captain, you also see Alaba trying to have a conversation with him and that’s the role of the captain. You have the right to speak to the referee but sometimes they can be dismissive of that and it can be very frustrating when you are on the pitch.”
Messi ultimately missed the resulting spot kick but ensured it had little impact on the final outcome, producing another decisive display to lead Argentina to a second consecutive victory.
