It cannot be denied if Lionel Messi is one of the best players in history. Several trophies that filled his cupboard might continue to increase. Starting from the individual trophy to the trophy won by the club he defended. FC Barcelona proved that Messi should not be underestimated.
But it feels inappropriate if we only talk about the trophy at the club level since most people think that a great new player should have an extraordinary impact on the club and the country.
In this case, Messi might become a regret for star players. His lacking in an international trophy makes many people question his star label.
Despite the Argentine public, Lionel Messi also has a deep self-disappointment due to his loss in the final party several times during a prestigious championship. For example, when he failed to bring Argentina to win the Copa America as Albiceleste had to surrender from the Chile national team.
Then, one of the biggest regrets for Messi might be when he still could not bring Argentina to the world championship. In fact, at that time, in the 2014 Brazilian edition of the World Cup, this Barcelona’s star might able to bring Argentina to the final.
And most recently, Messi joined the Argentine national team in the 2019 Copa America event. Unfortunately, the trip made by the Lionel Scaloni team ended in the semifinals, where they toppled over Brazil with the status as the host.
They can then cheer themselves up by taking third place by beating Chile a few days later. But still, the spotlight is on Lionel Messi, who has never contributed a trophy to his country. The last time Argentina won the competition was the 1993 Copa America in Ecuador, which at that time, was still strengthened by Atletico Madrid’s current coach Diego Simeone and Gabriel Batistuta.
Yet, Messi might also be considered as gaining big success with FC Barcelona through the Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, and even the Ballon d’Or award that he got five times.
Despite the disappointment of the Tango Team, Di Maria said that Messi had greatly inspired the Argentine squad with his speech after a touching match.
The Paris Saint Germain player revealed that Messi was an extraordinary player. His team-mates in the Argentine national team know how Messi’s struggle in meeting the expectations of Albiceleste fans. His struggle has been considered to the extent that other players might cry when they heard Messi’s speech after losing to Brazil.
“Messi said some beautiful words when we were eliminated by Brazil. Messi said that he was proud of the team we built, “
“As soon as it was over, everyone shed tears because his speech touched everyone’s hearts. Especially young players. Those who would have to keep going on the same path. It would not be easy for them,”
“They have to work and continue to give all their best abilities because sooner or later, luck will come by our side,” said Maria (quoted from Sport-English).
In this case, Di Maria considered that Messi has an extraordinary leadership spirit. Although many people often accuse Messi as not being able to be a true leader, di Maria and all Argentine players did not care about that.
Di Maria tried to ignore the criticism that was often thrown at Messi, like when his teammate was found not to sing the national song before playing. The former Madrid players praised Messi’s leadership instead.
“Many critics claiming that he does not sing, that he does not speak. This Copa America feels different. He proved it. “
“What makes us happy is when we saw him talking in front of the team, how he talked to reporters, what he said. The most important thing is that Leo is like this. I like Messi like this,” said Di Maria (quoted from sportskeeda).
Now, Messi’s duty to carry the name of Argentina is getting heavier. The age factor is one of the main reasons why this Barcelona player can no longer promising the championship stage.
But most importantly, his speech in front of all Argentine players, especially for young players, made everyone open their eyes wide that La Pulga indeed has his special dreams for his beloved country,
which is to see Argentina regain the championship.
