The World Cup in Qatar will for many be the tournament where Lionel Messi became Maradona. He said, he said and will say: he played like Diego, captain like Diego, talked like Diego, infected like Diego. Something like Diego. But what happened to Messi to become Maradona? The accursed and eternally painful death of Ten. That is, the transmutation had occurred some time ago.

This is nothing new: Messi is usually all that is good in life. And we don’t talk about how he plays football, but about how he moves: exemplary father, blameless son, ideal husband, sincere friend. There’s a reason he’s revered across borders and languages. Among a thousand virtues, respect and humility are perhaps the ones that stand out the most LeoThat’s why he would never have worn his suit with Diego while he was alive. He didn’t belong to him. Everything has its place, as he learned in the children’s gardens of Rosario. With a Maradona that was enough.

Because Messi has always loved Maradona, despite the infinity of offensive comparisons and even some controversial words Fluff for with the Flea. Lionel never badmouthed Diego; he only launched words of admiration and affection.

On November 25, 2020, a fairly large chunk of Argentina died. Demigod for the vast majority of compatriots, demon for a handful of simplists without contexts, Maradona has passed into eternity. The world cried and also in a corner of Castelldefels, a small municipality in Barcelona. “A very sad day for all Argentines and for football. He leaves us but doesn’t leave, because Diego is eternal. I cherish all the good times I had with him and wanted to take this opportunity to send my condolences to all of his family and friends. RIP”were the words of Leo in social networks. There was a lot of affection and a certain political correctness in the message.

Something else was missing and Messi knew it.

The fantastic became known only a year later – he recounted it in a journalistic interview – and it was wonderful to know about it. The day before the match against Osasuna on November 29, Messi was restless in bed. He was conversing with Antonela, his perfect companion. I could not sleep. “I have to do something for Diego”, he repeated. Then he went to the room that serves as a museum in search of an Argentina shirt that symbolizes Maradona and observed the open door which was always locked, a sort of family deposit. Leo accepted fate’s invitation, entered with some uncertainty and saw the Newell’s shirt that had been given to him a couple of years earlier. I didn’t even know he was there, but he had a special light. I do not doubt it.

The following scene is famous: Messi scored a goal against Osasuna at the Camp Nou and paid the world the best tribute to Maradona. And there also happened the miracle: the long-delayed thing, that Messi dressed as Maradona, that longed-for fusion, became reality. Messi was Maradona and Maradona was Messi. The alef of football has manifested itself.

Then came the happiest days of his happy career. He played loose, without charges. He had a lot of fun. First the plug was removed by lifting the Copa América at the Maracana. spat out the “what are you looking at, stupid”, a phrase one hundred percent of Maradona. And now he’s giving away the postcard that shows him smiling lifting the World Cup to millions of backgrounds, with the 10 on the back, the ribbon on the left arm and a kind of black robe on the shoulders. Yes, the same image immortalized in Mexico in 1986.

The best thing about this whole story is that there will no longer be a choice between one and the other because Messi and Maradona are now the same. And forever.