With Vinicius Jr out of action until February, Rodrygo has acknowledged the pressure on his shoulders to fulfill that void for both Brazil and Real Madrid. Having added a further five since joining Inter Miami, Messi is a much more backable price to register an assist than he is to score a goal against Brazil. He registered three assists during last year's World Cup, managed five in Argentina's Copa America triumph in 2021 and has made 56 in total across 179 caps. In addition to his phenomenal goalscoring record for club and country, Messi has always been a consistent provider for his teammates.
There'll be no shortage of stars featured in Wednesday's game, and headline stealer Lionel Messi is sure to be involved in some capacity during this high-profile meeting.