Argentina’s loss to Saudi Arabia at World Cup is tough start for Messi: NPR

Argentina striker Lionel Messi reacts during his side’s 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images

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Argentina striker Lionel Messi reacts during his side’s 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images

Listen to The Last Cup on Spotify Where Apple podcast. Escucha a La Ultima Copa en español en Spotify oh Apple podcast.

This is Lionel Messi’s last chance. And he’s not starting off on the right foot.

One of the main stories of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is Messi’s saga. He is considered one of the best footballers of all time. His career with FC Barcelona broke records.

And yet, he could never win a World Cup with his native Argentina.

Messi’s story is often told as that of a child prodigy who rose through the ranks at Barcelona in Spain. But the lesser-known saga is that of Messi as a young immigrant, yearning to return home.

Messi grew up in the 90s, in the rural province of Santa Fe, Argentina’s version of the Midwest. He was brilliant on the pitch even as a child, but struggled with serious health issues (hormonal growth deficiency). His family (the father worked in a steel mill, the mother cleaned the houses) could not afford treatment. At first, as Argentina plunged into a severe economic depression, Messi and his father emigrated, along with hundreds of thousands of other Argentines.

In Spain, Messi received the best football education a young boy could hope for, at FC Barca’s legendary academy, La Macia. As he started racking up the trophies, titles and cups for Barca’s professional team, he also opted to play with the Argentina national team. It was a pivotal moment in his career: Spain wanted him to join their ranks, but he refused. He often spoke of the homesickness he felt for Argentina and the fervor with which he dreamed of returning to don the blue and white jersey in international competitions.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi in action during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia. Messi has been carrying Argentina’s clout for years as the star hopes to win his first-ever World Cup for his country.

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Argentina’s Lionel Messi in action during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia. Messi has been carrying Argentina’s clout for years as the star hopes to win his first-ever World Cup for his country.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

It’s romantic, but anyone who has left home knows that coming back after a long period of absence is complicated. For years, Messi’s performance with the Argentina national team was nothing short of tragic. And the worse he played, the angrier the people at home got. Fans demanded to know: why did he perform so well for Barca, in Europe, but so badly for Argentina? There is a whole cottage industry of theorists and commentators dedicated to investigating the matter, who have suggested that everything was to blame, from Messi’s own identity crisis to the more plausible fact that the Barca squad is simply better. to support his genius.

The thing is, Messi has spent most of his career trying to win with Argentina, struggling to win the affection of his own people and failing miserably.

Everything seemed to change under young new coach Lionel Scaloni, who led Argentina to a historic Copa America victory in 2021 (that’s a big South American Cup.) To say that hopes were high for Messi and the Argentina team as they leave for Qatar would be an understatement. The team was widely seen as strong contenders to go far in the tournament. There was also a looming deadline: Messi, who is now 35, recently announced it was going to be his last World Cup.

Early this morning, the Argentines got up early to watch the team’s debut in Qatar against Saudi Arabia. It was widely seen as an easy win. But the footballing world was shocked by what unfolded in the next 90 minutes: a 2-1 defeat for Argentina.

It will go down as a historic upset for Saudi Arabia, which until now was seen as an unimpressive contender.

Of course, it’s more than a question of football, it always is. For Messi, what’s at stake isn’t just another title under his belt. It’s his chance to be a hero in a homeland that has always shunned him. It’s his last cup.

Listen to The Last Cup on Spotify Where Apple podcast. Escucha a La Ultima Copa en español en Spotify oh Apple podcast.