Rio De Janeiro: The last few months have been like a dream.
It all began when our team of three won an indoor football tournament organised by Sony Mobiles, giving us a chance to watch a World Cup match at the historic Maracana stadium.
And when they told us it would be the Argentina-Bosnia match, we were over the moon. After all, how many get a chance to see Lionel Messi, arguably the world’s greatest footballer, in the flesh on the world’s greatest stage?
The big match
As we set off from Copacabana on June 15, a day after landing in Rio de Janeiro, it looked like the entire city was having a party with all roads leading towards the Maracana – the same stadium that once hosted an unbelievable 200,000 people and which was host to the 1950 World Cup and of course where the legendary Pele scored his 1,000th goal.
Though we set off a good four hours before kick-off, it took us a good part of an hour and more to reach the stadium as hundreds of vehicles and thousands of fans on foot were heading the same way.
My first view of the stadium took my breath away. The stadium was packed with 74,000 fans, mostly Argentines and Brazilians with some Bosnian fans also taking up the stands.
We were seated in the hospitality box bang above the players entry point and the roar across the stadium the minute Messi and company made their entry will remain etched in my mind forever.
The roar got even bigger on Messi’s first touch.
Three minutes into the game, the stadium erupted after Bosnia’s Sead Kolašinac scored an own goal off an Aguero free kick. Argentine fans went berserk, while Bosnian fans braced for a rout.
However, as the game progressed, Bosnia not only held their own against the mighty Latinos, they began giving as good as they got.
And they got good support from the stands.
Brazilian fans (who have no love lost for their Argentine brothers on the football field) soon began cheering for Bosnia and every chant of vamos, vamos Argentina (come on Argentina), was countered with Eu Sou Brasileiro (I am a Brazililan) and it was game on.
The atmosphere had turned electric in the stands, even though proceedings on the pitch were far from exciting. Stars such as Higuan, Sergio Aguero, were just a shadow of their reputation, while Messi flattered to deceive. Free-kicks went astray and his famous darting runs were nipped in the bud before you could say Leo.
Leo and behold
And then it happened.
Playing a lovely little one two with Higuain on the edge of the box suddenly the magician was free. The Bosnian defenders were in a heap, the ball was in the net, and Messi was racing off chased by his worshipping teammates.
No matter how many times you may have watched him on TV scoring his famous goals, seeing it live is an experience you are not likely to ever forget. After all, this was only the second time the magician had scored in a World Cup after 2006 and I was privileged to witness this historic moment.
As Messi walked away that balmy Sunday evening, he had left us with memories to cherish till our last breath.
Viva Messi, Viva Brazil.
