HIGH HOPES Saudi ready for its hardest opening game
Bidding for their third title, Argentina and Messi are in Qatar as genuine title contenders
ARGENTINA need no introduction. This is the last World Cup for Lionel Messi. Lifting the Copa America, his first major prize with his country, has also lifted some of the pressure on one of the best players the world has ever seen.
The World Cup is the one major trophy the Argentinian has never had his hands on. But La Albiceleste is on a 36-match unbeaten run. They will face Saudi Arabia the secondlowest-ranked team in the tournament in their opening World Cup fixture.
It seems like an ideal chance for Messi to push his international goals tally toward a century — he currently has 91 — in what’s surely a forlorn attempt to catch the leading men’s mark of 117, owned by great rival Cristiano Ronaldo. How Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni treats Messi for this game, in particular, being staged in the 80,000-seat Lusail Iconic Stadium, might be instructive given the captain’s fitness has been managed heading into the World Cup.
Messi trained individually on Friday and Saturday because of what the Argentina soccer federation described as “muscle overload.” That raises doubts over whether Messi will play the full 90 minutes against Saudi Arabia.
Not that he should be needed that long. The Saudis might have come through Asian qualifying relatively comfortably, but they tend to struggle on soccer’s highest stage, reaching the last 16 only once in their five appearances at the World Cup.
They started the 2018 tournament with a 5-0 loss to Russia, the host nation.
Though he might lack the pace and stamina he once had, Messi has modified his game and remains a matchwinner thanks in great part to his ageless left foot. Scaloni has come up with a system that frees him of all responsibility bar the need to create, a role he fulfils as his side’s main provider and most decisive player. With Angel Di Maria on the other side of attack, there is real trickery and movement for the Saudi defense to handle, and an impressive mix of youth and experience. There are no real concerns among the South Americans and they feel like a real team. In this aspect at least, Saudi Arabia can more than match the twotime winners. Argentinian hopes will be higher than they have been for many a year when they run out at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Seven years after coming up just short at Brazil 2014, the legendary Messi gained a significant measure of consolation by winning the Copa America. La Pulga (‘The Flea’) will now go in search of the biggest title of them all as the icon of a rejuvenated side and still one of the best players in the world, despite the passage of time and the fact he is now midway through his 30s. Four years ago, following their last-16 elimination at the hands of France at Russia 2018, the outlook was bleak for a side that had to replace the generation that finished runners-up at Brazil 2014 and embark on a transitional period, the duration and outcome of which were shrouded in uncertainty. Doubts about the players brought in to replace the old breed only seemed to be confirmed in the months after Russia 2018, with several well-known and experienced coaches turning down the Argentina job.
One man who did not rule himself out was Lionel Scaloni, who eventually took on the impossible task and began to make things happen, overhauling the squad and building a side and a squad that rallied around the figurehead, Lionel Messi. Scaloni had found new men for each position and given them time to bed in.
With one of the best players of all time still leading the way, a coach who has his feet firmly on the ground and has grown in stature during his tenure, and a pool of players ready to give their all for their hero, Argentina are sure to be one of the favourites at the world finals later this year.