Read for 5 minutesMexico City16 June 2026 08:00 AM IST
The bridge is irresistible; To win it, to win it again. If Lionel Messi hadn’t won the World Cup in Qatar, he would have been just another celebrity guest in the corporate box. But success, unlike failure, tempts us to relive the glorious past, to kiss the bulbous crown again, to swing it over the shoulders of our teammates, or to weep ever so innocently again. Messi cannot put his past behind him and so he is in the US in 1962 for Pele and friends to finally achieve a rare feat.
Perhaps, this is how he planned his legacy. In winning the World Cup, he equaled Diego Maradona, his idol and still his country’s most beloved footballer. Now, Messi wants to equalize with Messi himself, creating a tribute act himself. He could spoil the perfect ending that Qatar gave him, he could become a parody of himself. He will turn 39 during the tournament. But Messi is under no illusions that he just needs to step up and goals and assists will come automatically, or that he is in his physical form.
He knows only one truth; that the fire is still burning within him, as strong as his previous five participations; Along with muscle-shaking prowess, he has the intelligence, knowledge and confidence to win the game. The legs are as silky as ever; The eyes are sharp and the soul is impenetrable.
Still sharp
Those who laugh at his match-readiness after playing in an inferior league should not overlook his 2024 qualifiers with Argentina as well as his contribution to COPA. Messi scored eight goals in the qualifying campaign, in which the defending champions topped the table, winning just 12 of 18 matches and losing 4. He created three more. He has a dozen goals and seven assists in 14 MLS games this season.
Also read | Messi could have retired after winning the 2022 WC, why is he back for the final?
At this point in his career, it’s not where he plays, but how he plays. He may not be able to sustain the physical rigors of a full season in Europe, but can undeniably shine in a competition that needs sporadic ingenuity rather than sustained aggression. He may be slower than he was in Qatar, but he has the vision and intuition to see routes, angles and movements that others see. The men around him have to run harder, cover his space and mask his non-existent pressure.
In his later years, Messi was more of a Xavi, his Barca teammate, possessing amazing skills. (Reuters)
All this they do without complaint, or as a painful duty, but as a repayment of the debt of inspiration they have done for them. Julian Alvarez, his forward teammate, had a photo of Messi next to Mother Mary; Lautaro Martinez has Messi’s autograph which he still keeps. Enzo Fernandes was a bright teenager when his idol announced his retirement in 2016 after an ill-fated Copa clash. He then posted an emotional message on him Facebook Wall “How are we, not living with 1% of the pressure you do, 40 million people who don’t even know you making ridiculous demands of perfection, trying to convince you? Do what you want but think about living and enjoying yourself.”
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Perhaps, it helped Messi that most of his teammates in Qatar were from a younger generation who did not share the collective anger at losing the 2014 final; Men who looked up to him and went to extremes to please him. Messi also felt more comfortable managing them rather than those of similar vintage.
Regardless of the outcome of the World Cup, another fascinating chapter in Messi’s life is writing itself. The role will be the same as it was in Qatar, lurking in the shadows and pouncing at just the right moment, deceiving in ways no one would imagine. His mere shadow will inspire his army.
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Manager Lionel Scaloni has tuned the team’s play so that no one is overburdened. They don’t press hard or spin the ball constantly. The moment they get the ball, they move upfield with quick, sharp passing. They can be long, short, square or diagonal. Messi will be surrounded by runners, who will look to more central channels to organize play. In his later years, he was more Xavi than himself, his Barca soulmate, capturing amazing skill.
Perhaps, his lingering in the game stems from the discovery that there are more layers to his game than he thought. That it is not over yet. His behavior was amazing. In Qatar, the devil in the saint often came to the fore, rough edges stuck to his placid face. Dutch forward Voute Weghorst’s line will be remembered as the rudest line he ever uttered on the field: “What do you see, idiot?”
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Perhaps, Messi wants to experience all these feelings again, suspend his golden sunset again. And the irresistible pull remains; To win and win again.