Argentina’s massive support gathered in their thousands in Qatar’s Energy City adjacent to the sprawling Lusail Stadium in just one man’s mind as they faced World Cup danger.
Lionel Messi has carried the hopes of this football-mad nation for most of his career but there was an added layer of tension as Argentina took on arch-rivals Mexico on the stage to host the final.
Argentina knew that defeat after two matches would effectively end their World Cup campaign after the embarrassment of losing to Saudi Arabia in the opening match. Messi knew it would mean the major honor that had eluded his grasp in an illustrious career would forever be out of reach.
Messi, once again, was carrying the weight of Argentina’s expectations – and once again he produced a slice of trademark magic when they needed it most to turn a stubborn game around. And maybe the direction of his team’s world was to change as well. cup in action.
The clock showed 64 minutes. Every passing second turned the pressure valve on the Argentine and, in turn, on Messi. He knows that any Argentina failure at this stage, justified or not, can be painted as a Messi failure.
He was on the sidelines but made a devastating impact as Mexico fell prey to a magical left foot that broke many opponents’ hearts.
One touch delicately kills Angel Di Maria’s pass. The second touch floated a low finish into the bottom corner of Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa’s outstretched left arm.
Amidst an explosion of noise from the Argentina fans, Messi ran towards them with his arms outstretched in that famous celebration pose. He looked overcome with relief and release, surrounded by teammates who knew the man they depended on the most had delivered again.
As the crowd of players dispersed, Messi stood in front of supporters dressed in light blue and white, waving his arms in celebration. He knew what it meant to them. They knew what that meant. Mutual happiness.
The greatest players deliver when it matters so it should come as no surprise that Messi has produced again.
Up until that moment, it had not been an easy night for Messi against Mexico, who clearly relished the idea of ​​putting the skids under an Argentina team to lift the World Cup at the same Lucille Stadium on December 18.
Messi was marginalized by Mexico. He couldn’t make an impact in a first-half quagmire of stoppages and infringements, with the 35-year-old often looking for somewhere to escape the Mexican’s attentions at pace.
It was when the football match finally started in the second half that Messi characteristically broke the deadlock with his quick runs, quick passes and of course, genius strokes.
Argentina rested thanks to Messi, the team’s security blanket, and Enzo Fernandez added a superb second after 87 minutes with a curling right-footed shot.
It sent an attendance of 88,966 fans, the largest at a World Cup since the 1994 final in Pasadena, home happy – at least those who went home, as many nearly one after the final whistle. Standing on the same stand for hours. For your heroes, and one hero in particular.
Messi played in Argentina’s World Cup. They still need a win against Poland, with their own national icon in striker Robert Lewandowski, to ensure passage but a strike from Messi’s left foot has given real belief to their ranks.
He knew what was riding on the game.
“We cannot give up now,” Messi said. “We have all the finals to play – we can’t make mistakes. We knew we had to win, that another World Cup was starting for us, and we knew how to do it.”
Messi certainly knew how to do it.
He knows this will be his last World Cup, an elite stage on which he has yet to collect the prize. Messi lost to Germany in the 2014 final at Maracana in Rio. This was the closest he got to getting his hands on the World Cup.
Messi’s career at Barcelona has seen him win four Champions Leagues, seven Ballon d’Or and 10 La Liga titles. His time at Paris Saint-Germain is still regarded as a footnote but even there he won the Ligue 1 crown.
The World Cup is the missing link and this is Messi’s last chance to make a claim.
Argentina have not fully convinced, yet to show the form that has seen them ranked third in the world, and a painful exit against dangerous opponents in Poland is still a possibility.
For now, however, Argentina’s World Cup show is back on the road because where there’s Lionel Messi, there’s hope.
