Lionel Messi turns 39. Argentines plan nationwide birthday tribute

Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi turns 39 this Wednesday amid a record-breaking World Cup campaign.  The Argentina captain has scored five goals in two matches more than any other player at the tournament and has broken the competition’s all-time goalscoring record. While the Albiceleste captain will likely celebrate with teammates and family in Kansas where Argentina are based during the 2026 World Cup fans back home are planning a nationwide tribute of their own. In recent hours, a social media campaign under the hashtag #CumpleLeo has gained traction, encouraging Argentines to sing Happy Birthday to Messi at 10 a.m. and again at 10 p.m. The initiative was launched by popular television news anchor Rodolfo Barili, one of Argentinas best-known broadcasters. What if this Wednesday we all sing happy birthday to the captain? Barili said while presenting the campaign. Lets do it in classrooms, at work, on the bus wherever we are. Organizers are also asking participants to record and share their renditions on social media using the hashtag, in the hope that messages from across the country will reach the Argentine star. Were opening this up to everyone, Barili said. Lets make it massive and give him the support he deserves right now. Fathers health The campaign comes after a difficult period for Messi. Following Argentinas World Cup opener against Algeria on June 16, when many were surprised to see the captain crying after scoring his first goal, the forward acknowledged he had been dealing with personal challenges. It later emerged that his father had been experiencing health problems.  False reports about Jorge Messis death circulated online, and a famous streaming program even announced it live on air, prompting his family to issue a statement denying the rumors and asking for privacy. According to the statement, Jorge Messis health was improving, and Argentine outlets reported on Tuesday he is now out of the hospital and back in the familys home in Rosario, Santa Fe. Google celebrates Messi Messis World Cup campaign has been remarkable so far. With his five goals in Argentinas first two matches, he has accumulated a total of 18 over the span of six World Cups, surpassing Germanys Miroslav Klose to become the World Cups all-time leading goalscorer. The milestone quickly went viral, prompting Google to launch a special interactive tribute. Users who search for Messis name are greeted by an animation featuring confetti and football-themed graphics celebrating the record. The feature is available worldwide and had generated more than 12 million interactions by the time of writing.