Sports · Full coverage
Why World Cup Stars Are Still Going Strong at 39 and 41
How 4 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
50% centerFirst reported by Srugim · 1 day ago
Center 2Right 2
What happened
Lionel Messi scored late against Austria at age 39, and the article says he is part of a broader 2026 World Cup trend: aging legends and young stars are thriving. Teams now use sports science and star-centered systems to keep players like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Vinicius Junior and Lamine Yamal at peak level.
- 01Messi scored a late winner against Austria at age 39 in exhausting heat.
- 02Ronaldo, Mbappe, Haaland, Kane, Vinicius and Yamal are all excelling.
- 03Teams now build systems around stars instead of demanding they do everything.
- 04France, Portugal, England, Norway, Brazil and Spain are each managing their stars differently.
- 05Haaland and Mbappe meet Friday at 22:00 in a key group match.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
Full coverage · 4 outlets
The same event, reported separately by each newsroom. Open a few to compare what each emphasizes — and what they leave out.
Related stories
Messi Keeps Dominating at 39, While Ronaldo Struggles to Keep Up3 days agoViral Old World Cup Quote Resurfaces as Messi Keeps Defying Age2 days agoAt 38, Lionel Messi breaks Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup hat-trick age recordJun 17, 2026Messi Still Chasing World Cup Records in 20263 days agoMessi breaks Ronaldo's World Cup age record with historic hat-trickJun 17, 2026Messi and Mbappe Battle for World Cup Scoring CrownJun 16, 2026