In the space of half an hour, Lionel Messi showed that he is immortal despite being mortal. 40 years ago on the same day as Diego Maradona, a goal scored with a hand and another by his imagination. Messi missed a spot kick, before scoring a belter and adding another late in the game in Argentina’s 2-0 win.
In the ninth minute of the game, against Austria, an improvement over Algeria, the team was kicked out by Messi, who missed a penalty. Humming with anticipation, the cameras turned not to Messi, but to his prized left foot. He counted his steps, kissed the ball and left, the run-up deliberately stuttering. The world waited for that historic moment when he became the top goalscorer at the World Cup, another entry in his album of absolute greatness.
In the next moment the arena was rocked to silence. Failing to hit the net accurately, his shot was weak and wayward. If it was real or fictional, the audience would have rubbed their eyes. It was only the 33rd spot kick he missed in his entire career (out of 111). Nelson’s Curse they call it. Messi rubbed his eyes in frustration. But he is not sad, because he knows the ups and downs of the game, the imperfections and even the death of the immortals.
Thirty endless minutes later, he atoned in a more fitting way than a soft penalty to break Miroslav Klose’s record, which would have brought his career to a glorious conclusion. A left-footed whip that flew into the net. Thiago Almada ran with the ball down the left, passed it to Facundo Medina, who cut back into the box. The target was Medina, but he stepped on it, pulling all the defenders into him. Messi, galloping like a pony, pinged it with his precious left foot. He sprinted toward the corner flag, staring up at the sparkling blue sky, both arms raised in his signature pose, before teammates swarmed over him. Messi’s response was mild, a smile that had all the devilish brilliance about him.
This goal made him the highest scorer in the World Cup with 18 goals. In this number, he can see his entire career, the years under the burden of Diego Maradona, the elusive World Cup, the impending retirement, the anger of his countrymen, the redemption and glory in Qatar. Incredibly, 12 of those 18 goals have come in the last two editions.
Messi’s many layers are embedded in numbers. A prolific goalscorer and prolific goalscorer, the insatiable Trier returning to fulfill his dream of winning the World Cup, a totem for his country and a delight to the world, a testament to longevity, adaptability and consistent evolution.
long life
The most understated part is his longevity, how he has defied inevitable physical decline, the frequent niggles and blisters he suffers, injuries that take longer to heal and are easy to recur. Adjustment should not be difficult for a man of his intelligence and intuition. But making up his mind will be the hardest part. It is easy to say that football is playing to fill the void that football will leave if Messi retires. But motivating the mind, once it’s achieved, can be the hardest part.
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The 38-year-old draws inspiration from retired tennis gladiator Rafael Nadal. “We’re seeing Rafa Nadal’s series right now and I feel like him, in that sense, you enjoy what you do,” he said after the last game, when he scored a hat-trick. “I felt good. I prepared myself physically as much as possible along with my teammates. My seventh World Cup? No, I don’t know… Right now I’m enjoying myself on the pitch. I love competing, being ready for work. I love playing football; it’s my passion since childhood. When I’m in good shape, I give everything on the field,” he adds.
Great players have the ability to slow down the clock on their signature moments, giving them a frictionless epic quality. When Messi finds the ball on his left foot, it’s a moment of perfect calm that also means incredible power. The legs must have been tired from so many goals, the wear and tear, the stamp of the boots, the mind tired from the pressure of international football, but now its pure instinct, turning, connecting, retreating and landing. He seems to be able to spot targets blindfolded.
This is his enduring talent. The world around him has changed; He has the game and tactics, but not his passion for the game. Perhaps, no one has achieved greatness in football like Messi, because no one has loved the game as much as he has. And no one has given football as much love as Messi.