“Not only the Argentinian population but everybody — the whole planet — wants to see him play,” Scaloni said before the game. “Everybody wants to see him on the pitch, because he has an effect not only on Argentina fans but supporters all over the world.”
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Why Messi playing like Xavi works for Argentina
Messi wants to match Messi himself, composing a tribute act to himself. (AP)
The pull is irresistible; to win it, to win it again. If Lionel Messi had not lifted the World Cup in Qatar, he would have been just another celebrity guest in the corporate box. But success, unlike failure, lures into reliving the glorious yesterday once more, to kiss the bulbous crown again, to be ferried on the shoulders of his teammates again, or to cry so innocently again. Messi cannot leave his yesterdays behind, and so he is in the US to achieve a rare feat last achieved by Pele and friends in 1962.
Maybe, this is how he has planned his legacy. He has matched Diego Maradona, his idol and still the most loved footballer in his country, in winning the World Cup. Now, Messi wants to match Messi himself, composing a tribute act to himself. He could spoil the perfect ending that Qatar had bestowed on him, he could turn out to be a parody of himself. He will turn 39 during the tournament. But Messi is not delusional that he just needs to turn up and the goals and assists would automatically arrive, or that he is in his peak physical shape.
