DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The blue and white wall of Argentine fans launched into another interpretation of their World Cup anthem as full time approached at Lusail Stadium.
“Maradona”, they sang, “is cheering for Lionel” from the sky.
The parallels between the two all-time greats of Argentine soccer, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, are increasingly striking in Qatar.
Just as the 1986 World Cup seemed to be a highlight for Maradona, Messi has made his mark at this tournament with a string of spectacular goals and assists, leading Argentina’s class of 2022 to the final.
There have always been echoes of Maradona in Messi: his size, his dribbling skills, his quick feet, his magic wand with his left foot.
Add in the leadership and fighting qualities he has displayed throughout the tournament and it really does feel as if Messi is imbued with the spirit of Maradona. as he approaches the ultimate soccer prize.
“Messi is playing the role of Maradona in the World Cup,” said Jorge Valdano, who was on the Argentina team that won the World Cup in 1986, in an interview with the TyC Sports channel.
That was made clear in Messi’s latest stirring performance as Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 on Tuesday to advance to the World Cup final for the sixth time.
And nothing encapsulated his magnificence more than his assist for the third goal, scored by Julián Álvarez.
Receiving the ball on the touchline, just inside the Croatian half, Messi lifted the ball over Josko Gvardiol’s challenge and ran down the right flank. Gvardiol gave chase, constantly clutching the Argentina captain’s jersey, and then was spellbound as Messi dropped his shoulder and spun the other way to turn and burst into the box. Then came the easy right-footed cross that Álvarez swept home.
It was another moment of magic in a tournament that has been plagued by them from Messi.
“Personally”, Messi said, “I can say that I feel very happy in this whole World Cup. I am enjoying it a lot and luckily I can help my whole team to make things happen.”
After the match, an Argentine reporter conducting a post-match interview with Messi stopped asking questions and told him that whatever happened in the final, he had managed to leave a mark on the lives of all Argentines and was bringing joy to the country.
And for Messi, now it’s about more than just winning football games.
“It is no longer just the result but the path we have traveled,” he said. “Before in Argentina, winning or losing was valued, but I think that now people value other things.”
That may be so, but winning the World Cup would cement his legacy, allowing him to join Pelé and Maradona in the pantheon of soccer’s greatest players. He may already be there, but being a World Cup winner would end the debate.
Messi reiterated that this will probably be his last dance in a World Cup: he will turn 39 during the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
And he’s been dancing a lot, on the pitch after matches and in the locker room, as Argentina has bounced back to five wins after a stunning loss to Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener.
“It was a litmus test for this whole team, but this team showed how strong we are,” Messi said. “We won the following games. What we did was very difficult because each game was a final and this was a mental burden because we knew that things were going to get more complicated for us.
“We managed to win five finals and I hope it will be like that 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 in the quarterfinals, Messi said that Maradona, who died two years ago, was watching the team as Argentina got through a heated and fiery game.
“Diego is watching us from heaven,” Messi said. “He is pushing us. I hope he continues like this until the end ”.
Well, Messi will be there at the end. And he’s doing his best Maradona impression on the road.
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
