The World Cup’s defining moment came close to its conclusion. A kiss was given to the trophy. Finally, Lionel Messi’s dream came true and held the World Cup trophy this year. It had the ideal conclusion for the greatest of them all on a night that was high on drama and higher on passion.
After a World Cup final that featured the brilliance of not just Messi but another player Kylian Mbappe, he joins Pele and Diego Maradona as World Cup-winning greats. But in actuality, this was all about a feat that set him apart from the competition. He now possesses the crucial element.
The World Cup has given the Messi story the narrative arc that it needed. People prefer their geniuses to be flawed because it adds to their appeal. The notion that there must be a cost associated with one’s contributions, a toll paid, has endured since antiquity.
That struggle had long been difficult to observe with Messi. He overcame the difficulties that came with moving to Europe at the age of 13 both on and off the field. Success has been a defining aspect of his life.
People could feel a little chilled as a result. Gabriel Batistuta claimed that the fact that such an extraordinary player had surpassed him in scoring for Argentina was consoling. The best way to put it was by Carlos Mac Allister, a player with Diego Maradona whose son Alexis is currently a World Cup winner alongside Lionel Messi.
He recently asserted that Messi is the greatest player in history. He said that he takes what he observes as true. Messi’s statistics are convincing. But there was still the caveat that Maradona had given the crowd feelings that Messi had been unable to.
Before the age of 24, Messi scored in two more Barcelona victories. He won the Champions League as a teenager. At age 21, he won an Olympic gold medal. Seven gold balls. 800 goals. One major issue. Simply said, the Copa America was insufficient.
The World Cup, which did not submit to his demands, was his last labour. This fifth and final chance presented itself just as his abilities seemed to be dwindling. He was no longer thought of as the best player in the world, let alone at his own club.
It was thanks to him that we finally witnessed the battle as he guided Argentina to victory following the loss to Saudi Arabia. Two times to France and once to the Netherlands, leads were lost. But he persisted. He triumphed. It didn’t come easy or immediately. That elevates its uniqueness.
Because he has always been a team player, Messi will be aware that he needed those others to make this happen. He can reflect on 2010 to help him remember the importance of hiring the proper manager. He will remember both his own miss and other players’ misses in the 2014 final. The year 2018 was a catastrophe.
Here, a gang of brothers and barbecues brought it all together. After the game, Lionel Scaloni commented, “Everything that he transmits to his teammates is something unparalleled, that I have never seen before.” Messi is a player who sacrifices a lot for their teammates.
You reap what you sow. As a youngster, Julian Alvarez had watched him on television. In Qatar, he served as Messi’s legs. According to Rodrigo De Paul, he would fight for his captain. He looked after Messi. Emiliano Martinez acknowledged that Messi would make him happy than he would.
Such responsibility could have been paralyzing, but because his supporters encouraged him, it gave him and everyone else around him more confidence. It took on a mission-like quality as a result of being burdened with a noble purpose, and the clarity of that mission carried them to triumph.
