From the dazzling mild of the fireworks that unfold over Rio de Janeiro’s iconic soccer theatre Maracana, Lionel Messi walked into the darkness of the dressing room. His head sunk, one hand wiping sweat and tears, and from the opposite hung the Golden Ball trophy. This was how the 2014 FIFA World Cup had ended for Messi. He had received the award for the event’s greatest participant nevertheless it was Germany that took house the Large Cup.
Among the many heart-broken and drained faces that gazed sympathetically at him close to the change room, Messi discovered Alfredo Pernas, his closest pal among the many group of strategists. He tossed the trophy to Pernas and informed him to do no matter he needs with it. Messi would slink right into a nook of the change room and weep like a toddler.
“He simply flung the Golden Ball at me and informed me to do no matter I need with it. It was not what he wished,” Pernas would later inform Canal 24. Pernas took it house and preserved it. “He has by no means requested me about it once more, however who is aware of he may ask me some day. You can’t shove it into the dustbin,” he would add.
Messi would later say, “I don’t care concerning the Golden Ball. That was the worst evening of my life.” That evening when he reached the closest to holding the World Cup, fulfilling his dream and future. However like being woken up out of your sweetest dream and thrust into your worst nightmare, that evening when Germany beat Argentina within the last, eight years in the past, stays an unhealed wound.
The airplane carrying the Argentina nationwide soccer group is painted with photos of Lionel Messi, middle, Angel Di Maria, left, and Rodrigo De Paul arrives at Hamad Worldwide airport in Doha, Qatar. (AP)
He has by no means rewatched the match, even when an interviewer of FIFA.com as soon as confirmed him the footage. He turned his eyes away from the tv, stared hollowly into the gap and informed him, “I don’t know what to say, it’s a pity. I feel we had the higher possibilities within the sport. For the remainder of our lives we’ll remorse having these possibilities, and never with the ability to put them in.”
Final yr, after Argentina received the COPA Cup, the image of South American soccer supremacy, on the identical venue, beating Brazil no much less, he was requested a particular query: Have been the ghosts of 2014 exterminated? “No,” he paused, and firmed up his tone: “By no means”.The 2014 loss will dwell on whether or not he wins this World Cup or the subsequent. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni would later clarify, “A champion footballer like him, who by no means likes to lose a single sport, would always remember the losses. He remembers each single sport he has misplaced, for membership and nation. I don’t know whether or not he remembers the wins!”
A win can’t undo a defeat, simply as the current can’t change the previous. However there dwells hope for the longer term. There may be renewed hope in Argentina that Messi’s final World Cup may maybe be his destiny-fulfilling one, too. Underneath Scaloni, Messi has been a liberated power, Argentina has strung collectively 35 undefeated video games, performed stunning, free-flowing soccer as their followers had yearned for, and constructed an acceptable stage for his or her best participant to bury the ache of Maracana and leap into absolute footballing immortality.
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For Messi, successful the World Cup isn’t just about successful the World Cup. It has deeper meanings and relevance. It’s not merely about fetching the final piece of silverware into his cabin, or incomes the ultimate stamp of greatness, or being an equal to Diego Maradona, however about proving that he’s as Argentinian as any Argentinian. Or, maybe, extra Argentinian.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi arrives in Doha with Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul , Angel di Maria and Leandro Paredes for the FIFA World Cup Qatar. (Reuters)
It’s merciless that he’s made to show his Argentinian-ism each time he pulls on the blue-and-white stripes of the nation. However that’s the way it has been. He was not Pibe, the boy from the streets. He was not from the 2 huge Argentina golf equipment, River Plate or Boca Juniors. He has not performed for any membership in his nation.
His sport was moulded in La Masia Academy and never within the alleys of Buenos Aires. He was unemotional on the sector, not anarchic. His rendition of the nationwide anthem is gentle; he has received every part for Barcelona, however none for Argentina, earlier than the COPA triumph final yr.
For a deeply emotional nation, there was an irrepressible disconnect and mistrust with Messi, though they liked him and he liked them again. He’s aloof, distant, and never them. Maradona was, for his vices and virtues, a real illustration of his nation.
Messi is conscious of the complexities. He has been requested quite a few occasions of his actual affiliations: Spain or Argentina? Messi has defended his roots, his loyalty, his coronary heart. As soon as he recounted an incident: “I used to be provided to play for Spain after I was 15, I refused. After Spain received the World Cup, a pal in Barcelona joked, ‘Should you had accepted the supply, you’ll have been a World Cup winner.’ I informed him, ‘Successful with Spain is just not the identical as successful with Argentina.’”
There are shades and shadows of Argentina between his phrases, tones and accent, too. He left his hometown Rosario when he was 13 and spent most of his teenage and grownup life in Barcelona, but his Spanish is sparklingly Argentinian. To defend his dedication, his coronary heart and soul, for the nation, he even needed to write a column within the newspaper, The Patriot. He launches a teary self-defence: “Folks ask me why I’ve not picked up the Spanish accent and it’s easy: I don’t wish to choose it up, or to lose any identification with my nation. These are the one colors I wish to put on.”
His former coach Jorge Sampaoli would sympathise: “The World Cup is sort of a revolver to his head.”
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However by no means maybe has the revolver been the farthest from his head than it’s now. For he’s not Barcelona’s. Simply Argentina’s. Although he performs for the French membership Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the affiliations usually are not as robust. There isn’t a envy, no undesirable comparability, no doubts or debates of his dedication. There isn’t a distraction — if Messi appeared disenchanted final yr in Paris, he has been reinvigorated this season, netting 12 objectives and 14 assists in 18 video games for PSG.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi listens to the United Arab Emirates nationwide anthem, throughout a pleasant soccer match between Argentina and United Arab Emirates, at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, in Abu Dhabi. (AP)
Maybe, it’s an phantasm, maybe it’s actual, maybe it’s neither actual nor illusory, however Messi has seldom worn his ardour as wildly as he has when taking part in for his nation than within the final two years. Often shy and gentle, he has been animated and confrontational, choosing fights with opponents, arguing with the referees and celebrating moments maniacally. He has by no means mocked his opponents.
He did when Colombia’s Yerry Mina missed a penalty through the quarterfinals shootout in COPA. He charged down the midway line and yelled on the goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to bounce, within the precise approach Mina had danced throughout victory within the earlier spherical. Messi, undeniably, was all the time captivated with taking part in for his nation.
However seldom has that keenness manifested this passionately. It could possibly be a trick of the eyes, as a result of when he wears the blue-and-white stripes of Argentina, you don’t see an invisible purple and purple beneath, because it all the time had appeared to exist. It’s pure blue and white.
The jersey not appears to burden him, neither does the nationwide group seem like a gilded jail. Since Scaloni took over the reins of the group in 2018, each Messi and his nation have lastly discovered a way to harness one of the best out of one another. Within the final 4 years. Argentina ended their lengthy COPA America drought, hammered European champions Italy within the Cup of Champions and are unbeaten within the final 35 video games. He has scored 25 occasions and assisted 9 occasions in 36 video games. That’s practically one-third of his objectives for the nation (90 from 164) has been scored in these video games.
Scaloni, who was elevated from part-time to full-time supervisor as a result of he was unglamorous and his charges not exorbitant, has managed what a lot of his extra well-known predecessors, from Jose Pekerman to Jose Sampaoli, couldn’t. To get one of the best out of Messi, Scaloni realised that it was vital to get one of the best out of his teammates, too. Slightly than tuning their ways to go well with Messi, he was extra keen on formulating a way that labored for your complete group. “It might be tough for a lot of to adapt to Messi’s model of play, however Messi may alter to something (plan).”
Argentina’s Lionel Messi in motion throughout a pleasant match between Argentina and United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi. (AP)
In his staggering profession, Messi has donned a number of roles with aplomb, and excelled in every. From proper winger to false 9, to centre ahead to deep-lying playmaker, there have been few roles he has left untried. His Argentina and Barcelona colleague Javier Mascherano would joke: “Make him a central defender, he could be one of the best on this planet.”
Scaloni, although, was initially inclined to a direct and vertical sport, however quickly modified to a possession-based sport because of a dearth of high quality wingers. His midfield is often slender, however the midfielders, particularly the versatile Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo de Paul, are blessed with elegant passing vary.
Messi has starred in quite a lot of roles, however often he begins as second striker in a 4-2-3-1 or a centre ahead in 4-3-3. However no matter his place is, he often drifts to the fitting to obtain and create from exterior of their opponent’s defensive block. The progressive passing capacity of Scaloni’s males, or Scaloneta as they’re known as, is luxurious.Even the central defensive pair of Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez are blessed with the attention for a defence-splitting, attack-initiating cross and ball participant. It has helped Scaloni that a number of the un-droppables who made Argentina top-heavy are retired, like Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero.
Scaloni picks his males fastidiously, too. Amongst a raft of standard strikers taking part in in Europe, Scaloni selected Lautaro Martinez, whose chief process is to attract defenders out of their place, dishevel the defensive form with intelligent runs past the defence-line and create house for Messi and Co. to manoeuvre.
Although Argentina is just not a lot of a urgent aspect, they storm the ultimate third. In a traditional sport sequence, Messi has a minimum of 4 colleagues together with the full-backs beside him. So, he has the liberty to maneuver into empty areas or drift large, or drop deep with fast passing exchanges. Perhaps, it’s this freedom, the elevation of high quality round him, that has made the presents of Messi shine brighter than ever earlier than within the robes of his nation and made his solely unfulfilled dream on a soccer discipline look nearer to achievement than ever earlier than.
However Messi warns: “The World Cup could be very tough, many issues need to occur (to win it), and there are a lot of groups that need the identical as us and which are doing properly.” He then allays the fears: “We’re keen, we’re going to combat, we’re not afraid of anybody as a result of we’re able to play towards anybody, however with peace of thoughts.”
There was an uncommon rage in his voice when he uttered these phrases in a press convention final month. Not desperation however a burning want to consummate his final shot at fulfilling his future, the final try at successful the one trophy that has eluded him, and, predominantly, the final leap in direction of proving that he’s extra Argentinian than any Argentinian.
The ache of Maracana may dwell on eternally, however the pleasure of Doha may make the recollections of that evening just a little bit extra bearable.
MESSI TRIVIA
27 Messi has netted 27 objectives in 43 video games this calendar yr
25 Underneath supervisor Lionel Scaloni, Messi has scored 25 occasions in 36 video games
3 If Messi manages to help three extra objectives, he would break Maradona’s document of most assists in World Cups (8)