“It wasn’t the way I dreamed,” Lionel Messi, from a reckless 18-year-old to a legend greater than Diego Maradona for Argentina


“It wasn’t the way I dreamed,” Lionel Messi, from a reckless 18-year-old to a legend greater than Diego Maradona for Argentina

Lionel Messi

When Lionel Messi debuted for his country, the world saw an absent-minded teenager who stepped on to the field for just 43 seconds before allegedly elbowing Hungarian defender Vilmos Vanczak and was shown a straight red card.

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The youngster spoke after the game indicating that he meant no harm, “It wasn’t the way I dreamed it would be. I passed him (Vanczak) and he just grabbed me and I wanted to free myself so I could carry on and the referee judged that I had elbowed him.”

The world was already excited to see Lionel Messi as he had already made a name for himself at Barcelona, alongside the likes of Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, Deco, Andres Iniesta, Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho. These legends nurtured a player who was to become one of the greatest players of all time.

Also Read: WATCH: From a plane carrying Lionel Messi’s shirt in Rosario to beer celebrations in Munich, fans go wild as Argentina reaches the 2022 FIFA…

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The 18-year-old Lionel Messi dream to match ‘The Golden Boy’ Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi
Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi

When Diego Maradona stepped foot on the turf, the world knew they would not be seeing any player from the same country who could achieve what he had. Then came along Lionel Messi with a dream to conquer the crown from Maradona. After announcing his retirement after the 2022 World Cup final, this is his last chance.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner expressed his emotions when Diego Maradona left the world on 25th November 2020, “From the beginning we have been saying that Diego is watching us, he is pushing from above.”

A very sad day for all Argentines and for football. He leaves us but does not leave, because Diego is eternal. I keep all the beautiful moments lived with him and I wanted to take the opportunity to send my condolences to all his family and friends. RIP.”

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have featured in the greatest rivalry one could see in the sporting world. While Cristiano Ronaldo was knocked out of the 2022 Qatar World Cup by Moroccan Magic, Lionel Messi has kept his dream alive with a splendid performance bagging 5 goals and helping his country relive the dream after 1986.

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Also Read: Lionel Messi announces the 2022 FIFA World Cup final will be his last match for Argentina; A look back at his illustrious World Cup…

Also Read: “The Last Dance!” Lionel Messi CONFIRMS retirement and is set to play his last match for Argentina in the World Cup final