Lionel Messi’s latest World Cup escape act has drawn a familiar reaction from Thierry Henry, who says the Argentina captain still carries the same competitive edge that once made him almost impossible to stop in training at Barcelona.

Argentina were in deep trouble against Egypt, trailing 2-0 and staring at elimination before Messi helped turn the match on its head. The 39-year-old had earlier missed a penalty, but responded by setting up Cristian Romero, scoring the equaliser himself and helping drag the defending champions back into the contest before Enzo Fernández completed a dramatic 3-2 win.

According to MARCA, Henry believes the match showed a side of Messi that he knows well from their time together at Barcelona.

Henry recalls Messi’s training-ground fury

Henry, now working as a pundit for Fox Soccer, said Messi has always had an unusual ability to turn frustration into punishment for the opposition.

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“What happens with Leo is, sometimes don’t wake up the beast. That’s what happened, and I’ve seen it in training, closely,” Henry said.

The former France striker then recalled how Messi would react when he felt a foul had not been given during training.

“You know when you’re in training and one of the coaches doesn’t want to call a foul… The coach says, ‘stop complaining, because it can happen in a game’. Next thing you know, you look at his eyes, and he switches. And he goes and gets that ball, and he scores three goals in a row. By scoring straight away, robbing the ball off you, scoring again, robbing the ball off you, scoring again. And he turns and says, ‘next time call a foul’… When he goes into that mood, it’s very difficult to stop him.”

It was an image that fit neatly with Messi’s reaction against Egypt. The missed penalty and Argentina’s two-goal deficit could have broken the evening. Instead, they appeared to sharpen his focus.

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Messi turns frustration into rescue act

Messi did not dominate every minute of the match, but when Argentina needed a way back, he was involved in the decisive moments.

His delivery helped Romero cut the deficit, before Messi himself scored the equaliser only minutes later. From there, Argentina carried the momentum into stoppage time, where Fernández headed in the winner and spared the reigning champions from a shock exit.

The performance was another reminder that Messi, even near the end of his career, remains capable of changing the direction of a match almost by force of will.

Argentina move on with their leader still burning

For Argentina, the comeback was about survival. For Messi, it was another example of the fire that has defined him for almost two decades at the highest level.

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Henry’s comments carried weight because they came from someone who saw that mentality from close range. He did not describe Messi as a player relying on nostalgia or reputation, but as one who can still find another gear when challenged.

Argentina now move into the quarter-finals with their title defence still alive. And if Henry is right, the lesson for their remaining opponents is simple: be careful what you awaken.

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