Lionel Messi will be under intense scrutiny yet again when Argentina plays Croatia in the semi-finals of 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
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The deserts of Qatar which were turned into modern football stadia have become a graveyard of sorts for heavyweight teams and legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Junior. Both Portugal and Brazil have been buried in the FIFA World Cup 2022, so Argentina will be hoping and trying every trick in the trade to ensure they can balk Croatia in the first semi-final on Tuesday night.
Any mention of Argentina brings up the names of legends. One died two years ago, Diego Maradona, who, almost single-handedly, won them the World Cup in 1986. Since then, it has been missing more than hits for a side that has always evoked great passion among the fans. The time has come for Lionel Messi to show he has it in him to deliver for Argentina, in his fifth effort. For the company, he has Angelo Di Maria, a very player rich in experience.
To be sure, a team event like the football World Cup is not about just a few individuals. Brazil and Portugal have lost, yet the debate continues on Neymar and CR7, what they did, posted on social media, and how almost anyone and everyone has reacted to their teams’ exits. It’s not just hype but a mass hysteria of sorts for these two teams and their talismanic stars — Neymar and Ronaldo — even after they failed.
The entire glare of the globe is now on Messi. At 35, he still looks as hungry as a lion, looked good in the quarter-final as well, showing grace and cunning to drive Argentina home. Di Maria is also important as these two men have shared many great moments on the football field. Now comes the biggest test for Messi, almost his last chance, almost begging, for World Cup glory. This will be defined in many ways for Leo the legend, playing his fifth World Cup.
To say that he has been flawless would be an aberration. Yet, Messi has handled the mountain of pressure and expectation in Qatar with maturity and grace. His efforts in penalties were also there to see in the last match, against the Dutch. It was pure, high-octane, and not good for fans who cannot handle stressful situations.
The world will be rooting for Lionel Messi in 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finals
All that has to be forgotten, now, by Messi and Argentina. The GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate has dragged on far too long. Perhaps, it needed someone like cricket legend Virat Kohli to put a few things in perspective when he paid handsome tributes to CR7 through his social media posts. It was not glib talk but words of appreciation from one champion to the other. What’s common between these two legends? Plenty.
Both have been charismatic, both have dealt with issues in team management, and both, VK and CR7 have been wrung dry because they did not collect the biggest trophies in their careers. One needs to forget, for the time being, all the issues which Ronaldo has dealt with.
Even though rivalries among fans owing allegiance to Messi and Ronaldo, respectively, are crazy, at this point, you cannot wish Messi bad luck. He has been a superstar in the sense of being a true role model. Messi has shown in club football he has an image that is larger than life. At 35, he knows he cannot be racing, like say, Mbappe with the ball. But then, Messi has always been soulful and stirring to watch. The football on view in this World Cup has been guillotine sharp. Many teams have raised their levels like never before, which includes Morocco and Croatia. Both these teams have played mind-blowing football.
The big question is can Messi keep Argentina together in this mother of all contest in the World Cup against Croatia? Playmaker Luka Modric, 37, has been a standout for the Croats and also their defense as well. Croatia has played high-intensity football non-stop and what they did in the last edition in 2018 in Germany is still fresh in memory.
If you were to hold a snap poll, chances are people will want Argentina to win because of the emotions involved. Fans around the globe in different time zones have seen Neymar Junior crying on the turf when Brazil went bust. Passionate viewers of football have seen Cristiano Ronaldo shed tears as he walked through the tunnel. It’s almost certain, his World Cup chapter (agony has been written in a tragic style that could have been articulated by someone like Thomas Hardy.
Rich English literature and emotional writers are now almost extinct, like the dinosaur. The same fate should not await Messi! The world of football wants to remember him as a champion who got the ultimate glory. Does that script sound too romantic? Well, romance or ruins, we will know on December 13, 2022. Given the different time zones, Messi will want to stop the clock. It’s like that last fling for glory. Don’t go by predictions, follow your heart if you have loved Leo Messi.
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)