Messi and the last dance at the 2022 World Cup
On October 6, the latin video streaming platform Star Plus posted an exclusive video interview with Messi. The 35-year-old superstar wears jeans shorts with a square patch, a plain white T-shirt, sitting on the sofa, hands propped on the arm of the chair, one leg propped up on the chair and the other hanging down. "The 2022 World Cup will be my last," he said slowly. "I'm both excited and nervous waiting for the opening day of the tournament."
Messi has won most of the major titles in the tournaments he attended, such as La Liga, Ligue 1, Champions League, U20 World Cup, Olympic and Copa America. But the biggest title like the World Cup still eludes the Argentine superstar. The last time he came closest to the world championship was 2014, when Argentina lost 0-1 to Germany by Mario Gotze's goal in extra time in the final. Messi received the "Best Player of the Tournament", with a dismayed expression.
Messi has not had a charm in the World Cup, compared to his talent. Considered the best player in history, but he is still outside the Top 30 players with the most goals in the World Cup. The 35-year-old superstar's performance at the tournament is 0.32 goals per game, only higher than two defenders Lothar Matthaus and Franz Beckenbauer, of the 98 players who have scored five or more goals. He also needs five more goals to become Argentina's top scorer at the World Cup, to surpass Gabriel Batistuta.
Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele and Diego Maradona are often mentioned in the "greatest of all time" debate. In terms of individual awards, Messi excels with seven Golden Balls. But an argument that is not on Messi's side is often made, which is that he has not been able to win the World Cup like Pele or Maradona.
Messi will have one last chance to help Argentina win the Gold Cup in Qatar, to gain wider recognition. He may not mind this debate, but the World Cup is undoubtedly Messi's ultimate desire. He once said "want to exchange all the Ballon d'Or won for a World Cup title".
What Messi has done shows that those words are not empty words. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Messi has flown up to 400,000 kilometers in the past four years, serving Argentina. He often has to travel tens of thousands of kilometers each time the team gathers. On each trip, this superstar uses a private jet and sends many teammates along.
Last season, Messi just moved to PSG and needed time to integrate. In the first three months, he returned to South America three times to play for the team. His number of games for PSG this time is on par with Argentina.
Messi's chance of winning the Gold Cup this time is not much lower than eight years ago. At the 2014 World Cup, a big bookie said Argentina had a 20% chance of winning, and this time it dropped to 14%. Joachim Klemen - an analyst who correctly predicted the 2014 and 2018 World Cup winners - believes that Argentina will take the throne in Qatar.
Compared to the 2014 squad, the current Argentina is said to be more balanced. Goalkeeper Emi Martinez is in high form with central defenders Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez. In the midfield, Rodrigo De Paul played better and better on the national team, alongside Giovanni Lo Celso. In attack, Messi, Angel di Maria and Lautaro Martinez are likely to start, and young striker Julian Alvarez is also constantly improving. They do not have as many world-class players as other candidates, but Messi can be a fulcrum for teammates thanks to his ability to create chances and score goals in all circumstances.
Few people thought that coach Lionel Scaloni would be so successful when he was appointed to replace Jorge Sampaoli after the 2018 World Cup. It was the first time he took on the role of head coach of a team, let alone a giant like Argentina. . Journalist L'Equipe Florent Tourchut (France) commented that Scaloni was never a star player, but had enough qualities to become a top coach. "The greatest strength of Scaloni is psychological," says Tourchut. "He understands each player and confides in them. Argentina is a candidate to win the World Cup, relying on a squad of experienced players like Messi and young talents."
Argentina are unbeaten in the last 35 matches, a series of matches that helped them win the Copa America 2021 and the Intercontinental Super Cup 2022. They are only two matches away from Italy's world record for unbeaten streak. However, Messi still does not want to put the home team in the top candidate group for the World Cup championship. "There are stronger teams than Argentina, but we will fight for the gold cup," he said.
Argentina has won the World Cup twice, in 1978 and 1986. In each tournament, they have a hero, Mario Kempes and Maradona respectively. This time if they are crowned for the third time, it will only be Messi who leads the team to success.
Messi's performance at the beginning of the 2022-2023 season increases the opportunity for Argentina. In 18 games in all competitions, he has scored 12 goals - more than his tally last season, in addition to 14 assists. Statistics Whoscored rated Messi as the best performer of Europe's top five leagues this season, averaging 8.86 points per game, with striker Erling Haaland second only with 8.33 points.
Messi and his teammates still have the greatest chance to top Group C, then they will meet the second place in Group D in the 1/8 round. Group D includes France, Australia, Denmark and Tunisia. If France is first in the group, Denmark is also not an easy opponent for any opponent when they are standing in the Top 10 in the world. But to win the championship, Argentina of course needs to win every opponent.
It has been 18 years since Messi first appeared on the world stage for Argentina. When he was only 19 years old, he became an important player of the team. But what Messi has done for Argentina cannot compare to his massive career at club level. That's why South American football expert Simon Edwards believes "all the fans will be happy if Messi wins the World Cup, if their team can't do it".
"Messi will be able to complete his national team career perfectly if he wins the World Cup," added Edwards. "That moment will be unforgettable in the minds of every football fan."
