Roy Keane shows completely different side when speaking about Lionel Messi

Roy Keane has become renowned for his no-nonsense style of punditry over the years, but he showed a completely different side of himself when discussing Lionel Messi's masterclass against England.

It was another evening to remember for Messi, who became the first player on record (from 1966) to complete nine dribbles and assist two goals in a World Cup knockout game.

The 39-year-old was instrumental, especially in the final stages, as Argentina secured their place in the World Cup final alongside European champions Spain thanks to late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.

Ultimately, Messi was the difference-maker in Atlanta and, after the full-time whistle on Wednesday night, the often-critical Roy Keane reserved some special praise for the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Overlap with Gary Neville and Ian Wright, the former Manchester United captain waxed lyrically about the Argentine as he pointed to his pinpoint crossing.

"He's a genius," Keane began. "We've played football at a pretty good level, but this guy... I just sit back and think he's amazing.

"Do you know what I loved about him today? We're always talking about his genius play, but it was his crossing. We won't look back in 20 years and say, 'Remember Messi? His crosses were good.'

"We'll remember his individual skill, his goals and how long he's done it for. But today, his crossing was outstanding.

"Everyone talks about stopping Messi. Today, every time he got the ball, they crowded him, so he just thought, 'I'm going to get half a yard and cross it.' He wasn't trying to beat three or four players every time. He just crossed it. Talk about reading the situation. The guy is a genius."

"He's won everything in the game," added Keane. "And then at the end you still see him producing moments like that."

Lol. Not sure I’ve ever seen Keane speak about any player with such reverence. https://t.co/KtP5Xng7MT pic.twitter.com/LWqX7VQZxu

— Az. (@__AAx98) July 16, 2026

Lionel Messi's genius reason for walking in games

This summer, Messi has spent the majority of his time on the pitch walking at a leisurely pace and for good reason. His ability to conserve energy and choose the perfect moment to attack is bordering on perfection.

Ahead of the semi-final between Argentina and England, it emerged that Messi is 343rd for distance covered at the World Cup.

In total, Messi is said to have covered just 27km in five matches, with Spanish football expert Guillem Balague giving the lowdown on his remarkable stats.

Speaking on BBC 5 Live, Balague said Messi covers "about 6.6km per game, of which 62% is walking".

READ MORE: Lionel Messi's reaction after Argentina players find Jordan Pickford's penalty cheat sheet

Such is his genius, Balague believes with those metrics, the Argentine will be able to play in a record-breaking seventh World Cup in 2030.

"You raise 62% to 75% and he will still make it," Balague added. "He's the best goalscorer in the World Cup, he's the best goalscorer in the MLS for two years, best goalscorer in the qualifiers."