It’s been a heartbreaking week for the Lionel Messi fans – and I am an unabashed one at that. However, as the tears dry out and the dust begins to settle on yet another so-near-yet-so-far case for arguably the greatest footballer of this generation, it seems that it’s still not time to write the epitaph on his international career.
It may be too cynical to believe that the Argentine’s decision to say ‘it’s all over with the national team’ was an effort to deflect the pressure and criticism on him and the team after another failure at a major final, but the developments over the past week suggest that Messi may still not be done with the white-and-blue stripes. It may be, at best, an interlude before he gives it one final shot for an elusive major in the 2018 Fifa World Cup.
The deluge of appeals asking him to come back, led by the country’s president Mauricio Macri and even Diego Maradona – whose legend Messi has failed to match so far – is on expected lines. The support for him on social media, as well as the demanding fans of the Albiceleste may help soften the blow – though it will certainly not heal his scar of not being able to finish on the winning side even once despite making four finals – thrice at the Copa America and one World Cup.
It’s not imperative that Messi makes up his mind now, for there is a good two months before Argentina come back to international competition again – with a high profile World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in early September. The pressure on him to make a comeback will only grow, and so will the significant influence from Fifa’s commercial partners and TV networks – for a World Cup in Russia without Messi is very much an unthinkable proposition as of now.
Interestingly enough, there is also talk of how Messi – in one masterstroke – has deflected the pressure on the Argentina Football Association (AFA) of whom he has been a critic. It’s also been widely reported that virtually the nucleus of the team: Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano, Lucas Biglia, Ever Banega, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di María are also prepared to retire along with Messi.
At the time of writing this, the AFA hasn’t quite got into the damage-control mode enough, but need to do it sooner than later to assure the senior stars of moral backing before they plunge into the qualifying battles for Russia 2018.
The dilemma before Messi, vis-à-vis returning with the next World Cup, can be on a different plane though. It will be a World Cup on European soil and he will be 31 then, still acceptable for someone of his class but at least three to four past what’s considered to be the prime age for a footballer. The job will certainly not get any easier, though the expectations will continue to remain sky high.
It will be surely a tough call for the maestro!
