‘It’s now or never’ for Argentina in Russia, admits Messi
Watching his team trailing 6-1 to Spain, Lionel Messi decided he had seen enough.
The injured (or rested, depending on who you believe) Argentine left his seat overlooking the field at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in the final minutes of Tuesday’s friendly match against Spain and headed inside. He didn’t miss much.
Losing in Madrid to a Spain squad that looks as dominant as its 2010 world champion version could have been acceptable. But six goals are far too many for a group of players who must provide Messi with the supporting cast he needs to fill the biggest hole in his stupendous career: the World Cup trophy.
Following coach Jorge Sampaoli’s orders, Argentina tried to beat Spain at its own ball-possession game on Tuesday by pressing high up the field. The decision to take the match to the Spaniards appeared to work at first. But after striker Gonzalo Higuaín, who was back playing for the Albi
celeste for the first time since June, missed an excellent opportunity from point-blank range, Spain did whatever they wanted.
Sampaoli has less than three months to find some solutions. He soon has to start by picking a final squad, and Tuesday’s sorry showing surely leaves him with more questions than answers.
The one possible hope Sampaoli could grasp was that Messi, and other first-choice players, “would have played” if it had been a competitive match. The
Albiceleste can also look to their 2-0 win over Italy on Friday, which they managed without their talisman and captain.
Argentina are two-time World Cup champions, having lifted the trophy in 1978 and 1986, and the football-crazed nation has long expected Messi to deliver a third title. A winner of 30 club trophies with Barcelona, the same fortune has not accompanied the five-time Ballon d’Or winner with Argentina.
Messi will turn 31 during the tournament in Russia. And he knows that, regardless of the quality of his team, this is most likely his last opportunity to win a World Cup.
“Being so close and not winning any of the chances we have had is a huge disappointment for us,” Messi told Fox Sports on Monday. “We feel it is now or never. We must think this is our last chance.”