Argentina built the perfect stage for Messi to bre...

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The strike that broke the deadlock on the way to Argentina's 2-0 victory was entirely fitting. It was a collective move, coach Lionel Scaloni's side attacking in one of their familiar clusters; Messi, with the break, left to Thiago Almada, further left to Facundo Medina, the low square ball across the defense, the clever leave by Almada to allow an arriving Messi to sweep the ball flawlessly and seemingly effortlessly past the keeper.How is it that after so many years of frustration, 12 of Messi's World Cup goals have come after his 35th birthday?

It's because of moments like these, little collective jewels where gifted players combine to ease the task of the most gifted of all. That leave from Almada spoke volumes; it highlighted just why Argentina are so successful.A basic truism in soccer says that the team helps make the stars.

For years with Argentina, it appeared to be the other way round, with Messi the star forced to carry the team. But not in recent times, in this extraordinary run of success under Scaloni.It could have turned out very differently.

Scaloni took over in 2018 after having spent the World Cup in Russia observing Argentina's opponents. He became obsessed with France and announced a bold new manifesto. Modern soccer meant rapid transitions, he said.

The best teams won the ball and were in a position to shoot within four seconds. This was the style that Argentina needed, and the style he was going to implement.There was an obvious problem.

This was not Messi-ball. It was an idea of play more suited to Kylian Mbappé. Indeed, the then Paris Saint-Germain -- and current United States -- coach Mauricio Pochettino spoke recently of the difficulty of having them both on the same side.

Messi wanted the ball to feet, in a patient, passing build-up. But this forced the opposing defense back and robbed Mbappé of the space behind that he loves to run into.Trying to play Mbappé-like soccer with Messi was never going to work with Argentina, who got off to a dreadful start in Scaloni's first competitive test, the 2019 Copa América.

So, it was time for a rethink. It was during that tournament that the two Lionels began to get on the same page. Messi, no longer at ease with Barcelona, had decid