How much success in Argentina, which qualifies, consecrates, or condemns anyone based on achievement. Messi, for almost two decades, was a dead man for not lifting that wayward solid gold trophy of just over 8 kilos. So this holy Sunday he let go of the mythical Dutchman’s hand. or to hungarian Ferenc Puskas or the Spanish-Argentine himself Alfredo Di Stefano.
Y michel platini? What can be said of another four of cups that arrived at the 1986 World Cup to be the best on the planet and retired with a simple and vulgar 3rd place? Not to mention Zico, who for 10 years did not know how to wear the 10 of Brazil with the merit of the great champions.
Yes, because winning the World Cup transforms any player into, at least, a modern demigod. Or so we exclusively believe. Because in reality the good ones will be good all their lives, and no one will be able to question what Cruyff or Platini meant in the history of football. And the same with Messi.
Since the “Flea” debuted in Argentina in 2005, prior to the World Cup in Germany, he suffered constant disapproving attacks. “Let him score goals in the National Team”, “if it is so good that he wins the World Cup”, “he is Spanish, what do you want”. The “do not sing the hymn” transformed it into a war cry worthy of a medieval war film.
In the first minutes of June 27, 2016, after losing on penalties against Chile in the Copa América Centenario, the Great Captain launched the phrase that froze souls for months. “The selection is over. There are many people who want that. I already tried a lot”shot the best on the planet, who had gotten tired and was giving up.
The depression did not last long, because a few months later he returned to the national team to qualify for the World Cup in Russia, an improvised tournament by an unclear coaching staff and had a piece that ultimately turned out to be key: lionel scaloni. The magical left-hander tried again, perhaps with the certainty that he could not leave without the title that was going to catapult him into the legend and give space to the detractors who were looking at the bottom of the pot to insult him.
For those days, Messi was the main target for another Argentine “failure”, regardless of the records he broke daily in Barcelona and also with the national shirt. It was said that he was the captain who did not speak, who did not explain, who did not raise his head. Until he one day he picked her up. And back came the best performances from him, and then he raised his glass.
Poor Cruyff, who did not have the chance to redeem himself in the face of predatory eyes and poisonous tongues as the Ten champion had in Qatar 2022. The Copa América 2021 was the -unnecessary- redemption of Rosariofor which they did not count, taking into account, the almost 800 goals, almost a thousand games, the quality deployed in hundreds of courts around the globe, nor the illusions awakened day after day just by seeing it.
How does winning a World Cup determine player class? In addition to those mentioned before, just the tests of the best today. neymar never won it, just like they didn’t Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Phil Foden. The last winner of the ballon d’or, the French Karim Benzema, he was not part of the winning France squad in Russia 2018. Thus, the great current football stars who lifted the Cup are Messi and Kylian Mbappé. And throughout history, the considered greatest players who could be crowned at the time of their hegemony were few, such as Pele, Diego Maradona, ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane either franz beckenbauer.
That’s how cruel football is, a sport in which many times, perhaps the vast majority, the one who reigns cannot be champion. And then, if he doesn’t win the World Cup, we already know, he’s a dead man who doesn’t deserve the cheers or eternity. How unfair football is, or those who don’t understand it.
Messi is so good that we had to compare him with Maradona. Just to recap: the man from Rosario won the World Cup in Qatar -and was a finalist in Brazil 2014-, the Copa América, the Under 20 World Cup, Olympic gold in Beijing 2008, four Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups, Super Cups in Spain, France and Europe, Ligue 1 and the Copa del Rey. That is to say, he won everything, except for the French Cup.
For the detractors, Messi finally became good. For the rest, he became the greatest of all time. Because the world is too small for him.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
