Can the Penguins look to Lionel Messi's Argentina for a late-stage Sidney Crosby blueprint?

King Jemison, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jul 18, 2026

Published in Hockey

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It should have been surprising.

Lionel Messi, at age 39, beating two defenders down the wing and firing a perfect cross into the box for Lautaro Martinez’s winner. Argentina escaping from a late World Cup deficit again.

But given everything Messi has done over the past two decades — and past two World Cups — it felt inevitable.

And it brought to mind another athlete born six weeks after Messi who’s also made a habit of defying Father Time.

Sidney Crosby will turn 39 next month. Like his counterpart on the pitch, his athleticism has waned, but he continues to produce with skill and savvy. They’re both exceptional leaders. They’ve piled up wins, accolades and records. Their consistency and longevity are unparalleled.

Throughout his career, Crosby has had plenty of moments like Messi’s 2022 World Cup title and current run to Sunday’s final. But the Penguins legend hasn’t enjoyed the same level of late-career team success.

The NHL’s decision not to take part in the 2022 Winter Olympics and Crosby’s injury in the 2026 Games might have robbed him of that chance in a Canadian sweater. It’s far too soon to rule out his participation in 2030.

Yet it’s become difficult to imagine Crosby can hoist another Stanley Cup with the Penguins. The costars who powered previous Cup runs are aging faster than their captain. Pittsburgh has plenty of prospects to replace them, but few look elite.

By the time Kyle Dubas has converted his stockpile of assets into a contender, it seems like it will be too late for Crosby.

But perhaps Argentina offers a model the Penguins can follow for building around an aging superstar.

Comparing NHL hockey to World Cup soccer is admittedly apples to antelopes. Beyond the fact they’re entirely different sports, the grind of an NHL season prioritizes youth and durability, whereas the World Cup is relatively forgiving for veterans.

Though there are more players on the pitch than on the ice, a single forward can probably exert a greater impact in soccer than hockey. And even the comparison between Messi and Crosby is fraught. Messi is arguably the greatest of all time in his sport. Crosby might not yet be the GOAT of his franchise.

But there’s something to be said for Argentina’s identity revolving entirely around Messi. Though they have other world-class players, they’re all devoted to getting their hero the ball. They passionately protect him. They rally around the chance to lift him to one more victory.

There’s no easy way to replicate that in Pittsburgh. But something like a Jason Robertson trade would be a start: adding a scorer who could cash the checks Crosby’s playmaking writes and pushing the Penguins toward winning now — rather than this perplexing middle ground the franchise currently occupies.

Maybe the team could use more sandpaper and size to discourage physicality against its captain, but that’s probably an outdated approach. Maybe they need more youth to provide the speed and strength to complement Crosby’s hockey sense. Or maybe they need to lean into experience — that seems to be the approach Argentina has chosen.

But what Messi’s moment makes clear is Crosby deserves another shot. He’s still among the top players in the sport and he’s still a galvanizing force — the Ruck twins’ awe at speaking to him on the phone was just another reminder of that effect.

If their development system strikes gold, the Penguins might not be as far from contention as their swift playoff exit last season indicates. Young players such as Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov and Sergei Murashov could blossom into stars. Dubas has enticing prospects and draft picks to deal in trades, along with the cap flexibility to bring in expensive veterans.

And Crosby could keep playing for several more years, long enough to let the franchise pivot into a new era while he’s still part of the picture.

Then all it takes is for Crosby to summon his magic one more time, just as Messi is doing this summer with his repeated late-game heroics.

But regardless of how Sunday’s World Cup final goes or how Crosby’s career wraps up, those two men born in the summer of 1987 have blessed the sports world like few other athletes before or since.