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Agustin Marcarian-Reuters via Imagn Images
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Lionel Messi was weeping at the end as he faced the Argentina fans at the east side of MetLife Stadium, but they did not seem to be tears of sadness or regret or anger. They looked like the tears of one who has come to the conclusion of an extraordinary journey, proud of what’s been accomplished, wishing there could be more but aware time is undefeated.
He’d have looked somewhat the same at the end of the FIFA World Cup final if his side had won, instead of falling in extra time to favored Spain 1-0 on a beautifully manufactured goal completed by reserve striker Fernan Torres. Messi just would have been wearing a different color medal around his neck, and there would have been a few more smiles on the way to this moment.
Argentina was attempting to do what no men’s national team has achieved in six decades: winning consecutive World Cups. Messi was attempting to join an extremely short list of the sport’s legends – Garrincha, Pele, Ronaldo, all of Brazil – to win multiple times in this tournament. There’s a reason Zidane and Beckenbauer and Maradona only did this once. It’s damned hard.
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It’s doubtful Messi believes in jinxes, but he’d have to talk to us to make that clear. America has been mostly kind to him, from his so-far magnificent years at Inter Miami to the 2024 Copa America triumph with Argentina to some serious dominance at Copa America Centenario 10 years ago to his magical run through this World Cup.
Except when he arrived here. Here in the shadow of New York City, Messi and Argentina produced no goals in 120 minutes of the Copa final in June 2016, and they produced no goals in 120 minutes of the World Cup final Sunday.
It’s a coincidence, surely, that they’ve been impotent for such an extended period in this building. FIFA even changed the name for this occasion, calling it “New York/New Jersey Stadium” for the duration of the tournament because the corporate sponsor of the stadium is not a corporate sponsor of the federation. Made no difference.
It was here 10 years ago that Messi announced his retirement from international soccer after losing a fourth consecutive final, three in Copa America and the World Cup title game in 2014. He was struggling with the burden of living up to the standard set by Maradona, who won the 1986 World Cup for his country. Messi had won only the Olympics and FIFA World Youth Championship, the event now known as the U-20 World Cup. That was never going to be enough, even with Messi owning multiple Champions League titles and numerous individual awards as the planet’s greatest player.
His retirement lasted only until the next international window, and since there have been three major titles. He has scored 70 goals in the 10 years since his so-brief exile; that total alone would rank among the top 25 men’s players of all time.
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We do not know for certain if this was Messi’s last appearance for his country. Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni deflected a question about this by explaining, “I didn’t talk to Leo.” The coach’s own future is uncertain; his contract expires this year. He has delivered four finals and three championships in Argentina’s past four major tournaments. It would be bizarre if the Argentine Football Association did not wish for him to continue, but he may feel a decade’s worth of national team pressure is plenty.
As he pondered what is next, explaining he’d prefer to take the available time to consider his next journey, he also broke down crying multiple times.
Agustin Marcarian-Reuters via Imagn Images
“It was a dream to play for everyone,” Scaloni said, meaning for the people of Argentina. “And we’ve tried up until the very last minute to give our utmost. I believe it’s only fair that I can take this time for myself to think this thing through. This place is wonderful. It is a dream.”
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If this is Messi’s end, this is the final tally, and it is staggering: one World Cup trophy, two World Cup finals, two Copa America titles, five Copa America finals, 207 caps, 125 goals. Argentina’s fans afterward seemed reluctant to depart the stands at MetLife because they knew they might never again see the greatest player in the history of the game wearing their beloved jersey with the vertical stripes of powder blue and white.
Scaloni said making a final and losing also can be viewed as success, but that this concept can be difficult for some to understand. This Argentina squad made believers of its supporters, though, likely through comeback victories against Egypt and England that demanded great resilience and a victory over Cabo Verde in which they surrendered the lead twice but still prevailed.
“I can see that people are aware of what we’ve achieved,” Scaloni aid. “This group are warriors. Every Spanish player that greeted us told us they were surprised by how competitive we were.”
Argentina did not get a single shot on goal and launched only a single shot from inside the box, reserve Guiliano Simone’s beckoning chance from directly in front of goal just a beat before the final whistle. They didn’t play that well.
Had this game had been scheduled for SoFi Stadium in LA, though, would it have made a difference? Argentina has no real history there. It’s nearly 2,800 miles away from this place. That distance doesn't exactly count as insurance, but it might have been safe there.
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Mike DeCourcy
Mike DeCourcy has been the college basketball columnist at The Sporting News since 1995. Starting with newspapers in Pittsburgh, Memphis and Cincinnati, he has written about the game for 37 years and covered 34 Final Fours. He is a member of the United States Basketball Writers Hall of Fame and is a studio analyst at the Big Ten Network and NCAA Tournament Bracket analyst for Fox Sports. He also writes frequently for TSN about soccer and the NFL. Mike was born in Pittsburgh, raised there during the City of Champions decade and graduated from Point Park University.
Source: Sporting News
