With the World Cup approaching, it’s only right that we speak about Lionel Messi. The last time we saw him in the World Cup stages, he was basking in glory, raising the trophy up high. That, however, didn’t come before years of torment.
The irony of his international failures was that his trophy case still wasn’t big enough for all he did for FC Barcelona. Messi joined the club in 2000 as a 13-year-old and became an official first-team starter in 2004.
Once Messi was elevated, the accolades came flooding in. The icon played for Barcelona for 17 years as a first-team player and won 35 major trophies over that period, from 2005 to 2019.
The club won the La Liga 10 times, the UEFA Champions League four times, the Copa del Rey seven times, the Supercopa de España eight times, the UEFA Super Cup three times, and the FIFA Club World Cup three times.
Right from the beginning, Messi won at a supremely high level for his club. That success, however, did not translate at the international level. Messi’s time with Argentina, at one point, was defined by coming up short in the biggest moments.
The first failure was in the 2007 Copa America final, where Argentina lost 3-0 to Brazil. It then became a trend. In the 2010 World Cup, the team, under Diego Maradona, lost in the quarterfinals to Germany. Four years later, Germany got the best of them again, this time in the Final.
Then came the next two Copa Americas. In 2015, Messi and Argentina lost to Chile in the final 4-1 in penalties. A year later, they faced Chile again in hopes of redemption. They lost 4-2 in penalties this time, and after the match, Messi was visibly emotional.
The losses seemed to take a toll on Messi, and he announced his retirement in 2016. After a bit of time, he decided to make his return with a clear head, but the international heartbreak didn’t stop.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was arguably Messi’s worst one. The long-time superstar scored just one goal, and the team was eventually bounced in the round of 16 by the eventual champs, France. It looked bleak for a while, but the tide did turn.
Everyone points to Messi’s defining moment as the 2022 World Cup, and understandably so. The moment that deserves more credit, though, is the 2021 Copa America Final. This was his first breakthrough with Argentina as they beat Brazil 1-0.
In sports, the first one is always the hardest. Once you achieve the first one, the confidence is there to do it again, and that epitomizes what Messi went through. After a disappointing 2018 World Cup, he bounced back with his best perfromance in the tournament.
In the 2022 World Cup, the little magician scored seven goals with three assists in seven matches. Two of the goals were scored in the finals against the defending champs in France.
Argentina ended up beating France in an all-time World Cup Final. Messi and company scored the first two, then Mbappe scored twice in the final 15 minutes to force extra time. In the extra 30 minutes, Messi and Mbappe scored goals to knot it at 3-3.
The game went to penalties, where Argentina won 4-2, and Messi finally grabbed that illustrious golden trophy. It was a moment that was well deserved after so much trial and tribulation.
The success didn’t stop there. Argentina won the 2024 Copa America as they went back-to-back in the tournament, beating Colombia 1-0. All it took was winning the first one.
This next World Cup will be the first ever one where Messi faces no pressure. Messi, of course, would love to lead his team to become the third-ever squad to go back-to-back in the World Cup.
A second one would also match Maradona individually. There’s still plenty of motivation to go get a second one. There’s just much less pressure.
Can Messi go back-to-back?
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
