Messi delivering Cup victory will cement status as legend
COMETH the hour, cometh the man!
Lionel Andrés Messi scored a hat-trick to single-handedly send Argentina to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
When the nation needs him most, Messi always rises to the occasion.
It’s been 11 months since an Argentina player other than Messi has scored a competitive goal for them.
When Messi officially debuted for Barcelona at the age of 17 in 2004, he quickly started drawing attention, galvanising his home nation of Argentina.
He’s been under immense scrutiny for some time for not giving the best to his national team or not being as creative as he should be.
Of course, Argentina aren’t a one-man team, but Messi took them from being very good to a level at which they had no equals.
Diego Maradona led Argentina to victory in the World Cup in 1986, and put himself up there with Pele, Johan Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane and another Argentine, Alfredo di Stefano, as the best players of all time.
Messi could earn a place in that quintet.
He has the talent, speed, balance, beauty of movement and ability to outwit an entire defence and score goals. Messi will never be Maradona! They are different men, from different backgrounds.
Messi’s childhood is pleasingly captured in Los Origines de Messi, a documentary from 2003.
The Messis were not rich, but not dirt poor like the Maradonas – both players are gifted differently.
Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli was under immense criticism, but had something good to say after the match, “Messi did not owe the World Cup to Argentina, but football owed the World Cup to Messi”.
The world took a deep breath to witness the magical Messi inspire Argentina against an energetic Ecuador.
A 2-0 loss to Bolivia in March saw the end of Edgardo Bauza’s short stint as boss as Sampaoli took over the reins.
Messi was contemplating retirement from international football then, but later changed his mind after the Argentina president’s intervention.
Argentina is heading to Russia with heads high and Messi is captain (with of course Maradona mentoring them behind the scene).
I was blessed to be born at the same time as Messi.
I really hope, for the sake of his legacy, that Messi does deliver in Russia and will be counted among the best in the game!
Wandile Mtana, Uitenhage