Messi, the dream final and the difficult ending to accept: “I want to enjoy my last match in a World Cup”

It can not be. It’s unreal. Derisive. Or if? Step? To send? Did Lionel Messi really do what he did? Nobody believes it. And as thousands in the mighty Lusail Stadium clutch their heads and rub their tear-soaked eyes, the awareness of what they have just seen arises. If it’s real. The best player in the world has given us another anthological game that will go down in World Cup history. The 35-year-old crack took the 20-year Croatian defense pledge for a walk and served the third a Giuliano Alvarezthe other Qatari protagonist of the evening, to seal the 3-0 against Croatia and win the ticket for Sunday’s final, which will be against Kylian Mbappé’s France or the surprising Morocco.

It wasn’t a target to shout about; it was crying and clapping. There is no way to understand or explain Messi. In the semifinal of Qatar 2022 he made it clear, in case there was still any doubt, that this is his best World Cup. And also, after the euphoria of the celebrations on the pitch and in the changing rooms, was in charge of notifying that the final will be his last function in this competitionthe most important of all.

“I’m very happy. It’s being able to enjoy this, finish my career and play my last match in a World Cup in the final.. What I experienced in this World Cup is very emotional. It’s very exciting how people enjoy themselves in Argentina,” says the Argentine number 10 of the mixed zone after scoring his fifth goal in the Middle East from a penalty. He is, together with Mbappé, the top scorer of the tournament. Soledad, the Argentine top scorer in the World Cup, with 11 goals (he surpassed Gabriel Batistuta, with 10).

He takes a second to remove his diver and reiterates what no one wants to hear in this moment of absolute happiness: “Sunday will certainly be the last match of a World Cup. The next one is missing a lot and I don’t think I’ll give up. finishing like this is the best”, he claims with an expression of satisfaction comparable to the one he showed when he finally conquered that title denied in the Major at the Maracana. There is no nostalgia in his gaze; there is tranquility. He has arrived: he will play the game that he most wanted to play.

This is why Leo treasures every moment, every game, every play. He comes to offer his heart in every dribble, in every goal, in every pass. Even though his left-handed hamstring hurts 15 minutes after he started playing the semi-final. Even if she grabs and stretches. Nothing can against your wish. Nothing stops him in his career towards what he loves the most.

“We all want to raise it, we all want to be world champions. But it’s a football match and anything can happen. I hope this time will be different from Brazil“, this Rosary who made the Arab night so perfect that it was difficult to assimilate that it was real, that it really happened, shares what is on his mind.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with the national team for some time, everything that’s happening to us. After winning the Copa América, reaching this World Cup with 36 games without defeat… And to finish all this in the World Cup final is incredible. It gives me a lot of strength to see my family living it as they are living it, this is an extra happiness. My family has accompanied me throughout my career, they have suffered with me and have also had a lot of fun because I have been lucky enough to experience extraordinary things,” said this Messi who on Sunday, when he returns to the field at Lusail, will become the player with most games played at the World Cup, 26, surpassing Lothar Matthäus (25).

But La Pulga pursues something else. He proudly accepts personal bests, but his attention is greater than him. The best: “In the end, what we all want is each other. Everything is fine (for the individual brands), but the most important thing is being able to reach the group goal, which is the most beautiful thing about We are one step after to fight a lot. We will try our best to make it happen this time“Remember the incredible 10, the one who moves as if he were 10 years younger and nobody can explain how he does it.

“The team and the group played the five finals as we were supposed to play them. In every match, the team understood the moments, understood what needed to be done. Sometimes we played better, sometimes worse, but sometimes the situation is extreme. No It’s easy to play five finals, go onto the pitch knowing you have to win because otherwise you’ll leave. And we’ve been doing it since the second game. It’s a big mental drain. And this group has overcome it. We’ve played five finals and we still have one more.” , tells clarion the Argentine captain dreams before getting on the bus to go back to the Albiceleste concentration, where the party will last another couple of hours.

This Messi excites. It is not from Maradona, although the comparison is a divine temptation. He is the most Messi of all. What is finally loose, on and off the field. The one who finally can’t contain himself either playing or talking. He is the Lion of the people, who begins to become a legend in Qatar by doing impossible things, like the great goal against Mexico that unlocked the Scaleneta World Cup. Or the big game against Australia with another shout included. Or the unlikely move to Nahuel Molina with Holland. Or even the game it will be forever up 3-0 in this perfect semi-final.

“That people like all this. What we have done is something impressive. It is the sixth final that we will play in our history. You know, do not doubt that we will try to give our best as we have been. In addition to winning or losing, people have understood that they have to enjoy themselves and that the whole process in this group has been extraordinary, win the Copa América and reach the final now”, Lionel addresses the more than 45 million fans who, amid so much rift who draw a bridge of hugs in the stands, here in Qatar, and on the streets of Argentina to push him towards his dream that belongs to everyone.

This Messi, the best Messi, led the national team to the Finali Mondiali once again. Eight and a half years later, the 10 will have a new opportunity, the last. And he is determined not to let her escape.

Lusail, Qatar. Special delivery.