Rafael Nadal Reacts To Lionel Messis Revelation About Taking Inspiration From His Documentary After World Cup Hattrick

history earlier this week in Kansas City. In his 200th international appearance, Messi delivered a vintage performance, dismantling the Algerian defence to secure a 3-0 victory. He opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a curling open-play effort before striking twice more in the 60th and 76th minutes. The feat made him the oldest player to register a World Cup hat-trick, eclipsing Portuguese rival Cristiano Ronaldo. It also pushed his all-time tournament tally to 16 goals, equalling German Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record.

However, the catalyst for the historic night came from an entirely different sport. Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone, Messi detailed his pre-match routine.

"I love playing football. It has been my passion since I was a child. When I feel good, I give everything I have," Messi explained. "Right now, we're watching a series about Rafa Nadal, and I identify with him in many ways. We are very similar in the sense that I always want to give my maximum and feel good."

The mutual admiration between the two sporting icons is well-documented. When Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, Nadal publicly expressed his joy. "Without supporting Argentina, when Messi lifted the trophy, I was moved to tears. For the emotion of seeing someone so great achieve what he missed after suffering so much for it," the Spaniard said at the time.

The career trajectories of both legendary athletes have always been defined by a narrative of overcoming setback after setback to solidify their slot at the very top of their games.

Messi retired from international football after consecutive Copa America final heartbreaks against Chile in 2015 and 2016. At the time, he said, "I tried my hardest. It's been four finals, and I was not able to win. I tried everything possible. It hurts me more than anyone, but it is evident that this is not for me. I want more than anyone to win a title with the national team, but unfortunately, it did not happen."

But the legendary Argentinian, whose career was often underlined by his lack of titles with his national team, is enjoying a third-act encore glittering with a burgeoning trophy haul. In 2021, he won his first-ever international trophy at the Copa America. He followed it up with the biggest prize of them all in Qatar in 2022, before adding the inter-continental Finalissima and another Copa America to his collection in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Nadal, meanwhile, was plagued by severe injuries throughout his career. In 2005, he was diagnosed with Müller-Weiss syndrome, a rare degenerative foot condition. He prominently battled tendinitis and hip flexor and abdominal tears. His regular use of painkillers also caused perforations in his intestines. Yet his legend has been in his resilience, which saw him enjoy a 23-year-long career and retire from professional tennis in 2024 with 22 Grand Slam titles to his name, the second most in men's tennis history.

Messi will need to channel that Nadal-esque resilience once again as the World Cup intensifies. Argentina, currently topping Group J, could put one foot in the knockouts with a win against Austria next Monday.