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Even before the World Cup began in Qatar, numerous stories revolved around the favorites. Who will win the World Cup? Who has the biggest chance of being crowned a world champion? There are fans and there are those who feel a certain way about who they want to be crowned as the world’s best.
Lionel Messi will be playing at his fifth and most likely final World Cup in Qatar. For the past 15 years, the football world enjoyed one of the greatest sports rivalries ever, between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Both of them won everything they could get their hands on while playing for their respective clubs. Sure, Ronaldo won titles in multiple countries, but Messi was loyal to Barcelona for over a decade. The one thing that was missing from either’s resume was a national team title. Ronaldo changed that in 2016 when he led Portugal to EUROs glory and next, it was Messi’s turn.
However, the same year Messi suddenly retired from his national team in June 2016 after Argentina lost to Chile at the Copa America final in New Jersey. It was the penalty shootout that led them to defeat. Messi was once again short on winning something meaningful with Argentina.
“I felt huge sadness thinking this just wasn’t meant to be. I wanted so badly to win something with Argentina, but I always fell short. I was thinking it was best for everyone to remove myself from the national team, it was the end,” Messi exhaled back then.
He was 29 years old at the time, but only two months later he changed his mind and donned an Argentina shirt once again. He found new passion and motivation, but in 2018 he failed again at the World Cup. Argentina was trashed by Croatia in the group stage and then lost to France in the first playoff round. Once again, it wasn’t meant to be for Messi.
Copa America changed the mindset
However, this time he wasn’t going to retire. He waited another three years before he finally did it. Copa America was held in Brazil of all places and for his first big title for Argentina, Messi beat the hosts. He didn’t score in the final, but it didn’t matter.
Since that fateful day in June 2016 when he retired, Messi scored 36 goals in 53 matches for his country. And now, many feel that the Argentines are the favorites to lift the biggest trophy of them all, the World Cup.
Last year Messi shocked the football world and moved to PSG after playing for Barcelona his entire career. He wasn’t at his best initially but everything changed this season. Even at 35 years old, Messi is once again playing great football. Many will suggest if Argentina wins the World Cup in Qatar the debate about who is the greatest ever will finally end.
With all those losses in the past, some suggested that Messi simply didn’t have good enough teammates to help him win the biggest trophy in football. Of course, this is not the case. Argentina always had enough talent to win it all, they just didn’t have the team chemistry to build something that will last. That changed last year when they won the Copa America in Brazil. Winning Copa America changed everything, especially the mindset. Messi finally realized he can do it, and the atmosphere around the locker room is good enough to take him there where he couldn’t make it in the past.
Argentina will play in the group with Mexico, Poland, and Saudi Arabia during the first stage of the Qatar World Cup, and could face France in the first playoff stage.
The stage is set for Lionel Messi to finally take his crown.
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