To love or not to love

WIMBLEDON whips us back to the game that says “love means nothing.” But then, even if Wimbledon is the Vatican of tennis, the love at the moment is, simply, the World Cup heading now into the homestretch.

Messi and Ronaldo are out of it. Still, the world’s No. 1 spectator sport remains a must-see.

Yes, our sights were trained o n Messi and even expected him to carry Argentina to the championship— even madly expectant of seeing him avenge Argentina’s loss to Germany in the 2014 Russia World Cup final.

Sadly, it didn’t happen.

But while Messi made a, well, mess of himself in the majority of Argentina’s games, a new star surfaced in France’s 43 victory over Argentina in the second round.

In eliminating Messi, France, if not the world, found a future in Kylian Mbappe, the 19-year-old rookie who scored twice in ousting Argentina in Kazan to duplicate the feat of the great Pele of six decades or so ago.

Ronaldo was likewise a non-factor as Portugal bowed to Uruguay in a 2-1 loss in Sochi in the Round of 16.

And yet, before their defeats, Messi and Ronaldo were much-ballyhooed as the world’s best players; they really are as they almost practically share the 10 most valuable player awards playing in clubs in the toughest European tournaments this decade.

Messi mostly shone in Spanish squads because pundits insist he had back-ups there who knew how to provide support. Not in Argentina, though, where teammates weren’t up to the task.

Which comes to mind LeBron James again. His enormous talent went to naught as his fellow Cavs couldn’t deliver the necessary arsenal in the last NBA Finals won by the Warriors.

James can try again though and, at 33, he still has the weapons for the 2019 season. In every team game, having better teammates is the key.

But seemingly, not Messi and Ronaldo in the next World Cup.

Messi is 31 and Ronaldo 33.

Father Time might butt in as Messi would be 35 and Ronaldo 37 when Qatar 2022 comes along.

But at 36, will Roger Federer retain his Wimbledon crown he’s won a record eight times?

Yes, love means nothing in tennis but with Federer still around, I still care.