The blue-and-white wall of Argentina followers launched into one other rendition of their World Cup anthem as fulltime approached at Lusail Stadium.
“Maradona,” they sang, “is cheering Lionel on” from heaven.
The parallels between the 2 all-time greats of Argentine soccer, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, have gotten ever extra putting in Qatar. Just just like the 1986 World Cup gave the impression to be a spotlight reel for Maradona, Messi has made his mark on this match with a string of spectacular targets and assists, carrying Argentina’s class of 2022 into the ultimate.
There have at all times been echoes of Maradona in Messi — his measurement, his dribbling expertise, his fast toes, his wand of a left foot. Add within the management and combating qualities he has proven all through the match and it actually does really feel like Messi is imbued with the spirit of Maradona as he closes in on soccer’s final prize.
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“Messi is playing the Maradona role in the World Cup,” Jorge Valdano, who was in Argentina’s victorious World Cup squad in 1986, mentioned in an interview to TyC Sports channel.
That was clear to see in Messi’s newest stirring efficiency as Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 on Tuesday to advance to the World Cup last for the sixth time. And nothing encapsulated his magnificence greater than his help for the third objective, scored by Julian Alvarez.
Receiving the ball on the touchline simply inside Croatia’s half, Messi lifted the ball over the problem of Josko Gvardiol and sprinted down the best flank. Gvardiol chased him, always grabbing the jersey of the Argentina captain, and was then bewitched as Messi dropped his shoulder and swiveled the opposite approach to flip and burst into the realm. Then got here the easy cross along with his proper foot that Alvarez swept residence.
It was one other second of magic in a match that has been stuffed with them by Messi.
“Personally,” Messi mentioned, “I can say that I feel very happy in this whole World Cup. I am enjoying it a lot and luckily enough I can help my whole squad to make things happen.”
After the match, an Argentine reporter conducting a post-match interview with Messi broke off from asking questions and instructed him that, no matter occurred within the last, he had succeeded in making a mark on each Argentine’s life and was bringing pleasure to the nation.
And for Messi, it’s now about extra than simply successful soccer matches.
“It is no longer only the result but the road we have traveled,” he mentioned. “Before in Argentina, it was valued to win or lose, but I think people now value other things.”
That could also be so, however successful the World Cup would cement his legacy, permitting him to affix Pele and Maradona within the pantheon of soccer’s best gamers. He is perhaps there already, however being a World Cup winner would finish the talk.
Messi reiterated that this may likely be his final dance at a World Cup — he’ll flip 39 in the course of the 2026 match within the United States, Canada and Mexico. And he’s been doing loads of dancing, on the sector after matches and within the locker room, as Argentina has rebounded with 5 wins following a stunning loss to Saudi Arabia in its World Cup opener.
“It was an acid test for this whole squad but this squad proved how strong we are,” Messi mentioned. “We gained the following matches. It was very tough what we did as a result of each match was a last and this was a psychological load as a result of we knew issues could be extra difficult for us.
“We managed to win five finals and I hope it will be this way for the last game. Internally, we were confident that we would make it because we know what we are capable of as a squad.”
After the victory over the Netherlands within the quarterfinals, Messi mentioned Maradona — who died two years in the past — was wanting over the staff as Argentina got here by a heated, fiery match.
“Diego is watching us from heaven,” Messi mentioned. “He is pushing us. I hope it stays like that until the end.”
Well, Messi shall be there on the finish. And he’s doing his perfect impression of Maradona alongside the best way.
