Messi holds second chance to follow in Maradona’s footsteps at World Cup final

Football

Published 17.12.2022

Messi holds second chance to follow in Maradona’s footsteps at World Cup final

Soccer is the nationwide obsession of Argentina, rivalling Christianity because the nation’s important religion.

The youngsters from the barrios of sprawling Buenos Aires and the bustling metropolises of Rosario and Cordoba play on the streets and makeshift pitches morning, midday and evening, emulating their heroes in hopes of sooner or later changing into “the next Maradona.”

Diego Maradona was not solely one of many best soccer gamers of all-time, he was additionally the nation’s most well-known particular person earlier than passing away two years in the past at age 60. People who know completely nothing about Argentina know that’s the place Maradona was from, and that he led his nation to World Cup glory in 1986 in Mexico. He was Argentina’s final sporting idol, the very image of the nation.

Many younger Argentine gamers have dared to ascend to the throne over time, however just one has managed to do it. It was Maradona, the king himself, who shortly after watching a UEFA Champions League match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea in 2006, boldly declared Lionel Messi as his inheritor obvious.

“I’ve seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentinian football and his name is Messi,” Maradona stated on the time. “He is beautiful to watch – my kind of player in our blue and white jersey. He’s a leader and is offering classes in beautiful football. He has something different to any other player in the world.”

Messi has performed in 4 earlier World Cups, however he’s been unable to duplicate Maradona’s heroics from Mexico, falling simply quick in 2014 when Argentina misplaced to Germany within the closing in Rio. Before this yr, solely 25 males who performed and misplaced in a World Cup closing obtained a second likelihood to win all of it. Messi, at age 35 and enjoying in his final World Cup match, will get one other alternative at redemption in Sunday’s closing vs. France.

Argentina’s ace has been in sensational kind during the last month, co-leading the event in scoring (with Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé) with 5 targets and enjoying a few of his finest soccer on the worldwide degree. It must be stated: Messi has underwhelmed in his earlier journeys to the World Cup. But in Qatar, it has been Messi who Argentina has frequently turned to in probably the most essential moments in video games, very like the crew appeared in direction of Maradona for divine inspiration 36 years in the past in Mexico.

Messi has obliged. He has scored from the penalty spot, netted recreation winners, transformed in shootouts, and arrange teammates’ targets with spectacular shows of particular person ability. With every passing recreation, he has appeared stronger and higher. He hasn’t appeared like a person carrying the burden of a whole nation’s expectations on his slim shoulders, however somewhat as somebody who’s enjoying carefree soccer. The sort he used to play in La Bajada, the working-class neighbourhood in Rosario the place he grew up and realized to play the sport.

Messi’s legacy is already secured. His entrance into the game’s pantheon alongside the all-time greats is assured when he finally retires and successful the World Cup on Sunday received’t change that. Yet, whereas comparisons between the 2 have grow to be drained and cliched at this level, there must be a sense gnawing away inside Messi that he should ship a World Cup to Argentina, or eternally reside within the shadow of Maradona, who was nicknamed El Pibe de Oro – The Golden Boy.

Messi is beloved by Argentina. Let there be no mistake about that. But in some ways, he has not had the identical intimate relationship together with his homeland in comparison with Maradona.

A lifelong supporter of Newell’s Old Boys, Messi joined the Rosario-based membership when he was nonetheless a toddler, scoring lots of of targets as a member of the crew’s youth system. But he left Rosario for Spain shortly after changing into a teen, enrolling in FC Barcelona’s well-known La Masia youth academy in 2000 at age 13. His transfer to Europe was hastened by the truth that he was identified with a development hormone deficiency. His household couldn’t afford the therapy, and golf equipment in Argentina declined to select up the tab.

Knowing what a gem of a participant they’d on its fingers, FC Barcelona paid for the therapy, and the remaining is historical past. Messi’s whole skilled profession has been spent in Europe, principally in Spain. He’s by no means performed at membership degree in his residence nation, and most Argentine followers have by no means seen him play within the flesh. Instead, they’ve needed to watch his brilliance from afar. Maradona, then again, featured for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors, two of the nation’s greatest golf equipment, and represented Argentina on the 1982 World Cup earlier than being transferred to FC Barcelona that summer time.

Argentine followers noticed Maradona develop up earlier than their very eyes and marvelled when he made his skilled debut for Argentinos Juniors at age 15. They witnessed firsthand his rise from the abject poverty of Villa Fiorito, a shanty city on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires the place he grew up, to the brilliant lights of La Bombonera with Boca Juniors, with whom he received a league title in 1981. They may determine extra intently with Maradona, as a result of in some ways he was one among them. His story was their story. His wrestle was their wrestle. His success was their success.

Much like Maradona, Messi is held up as a nationwide hero. But he lacks that particular reference to the nation’s populace. A victory on Sunday would draw him nearer to Argentina and earn a particular place within the collective coronary heart of its individuals.

John Molinaro is without doubt one of the main soccer journalists in Canada, having coated the sport for over 20 years for a number of media retailers, together with Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is at the moment the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a web site devoted to in-depth protection of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic might be discovered right here.