When the celebrations in front of their supporters were finally over, Lionel Messi embraced each and every member of Argentina’s backroom staff as he made his way off the pitch after Tuesday’s semi-final win over Croatia.
Some kissed his cheek and said a few words, or slapped his back and gently lifted the little magician off his feet.
Lionel Scaloni, the Argentina coach, was last in line, waiting near the touchline for Messi and the rest of his players, arms folded and shifting from foot to foot, like an excited schoolboy.
The two embraced and exchanged a brief word, but, as Messi walked away, Scaloni was overcome by emotion, choking up and fighting back the tears.
The moment was a reminder of the depth of feeling Messi inspires in every Argentine, not least his team-mates and colleagues, as he prepares for his last dance in Sunday’s World Cup Final against France.
A few minutes later, in the mixed zone at the Lusail Stadium, where Argentina will return to face the holders, television reporter Sofi Martinez used her last question to Messi to try to articulate what he means to their country. “Whatever the result, you have made people happy,” she said, in a clip which went viral on social media. “You have made an impact on everyone’s life. And that, to me, is beyond winning any World Cup.”
Win or lose on Sunday, Messi will always be an idol, one of Argentina’s most revered sons and, surely, the greatest player in the history of the sport.
Even so, in his mind at least, there is a sense that it all comes down to this.
The final will be Messi’s 26th and last appearance at a World Cup, his one remaining chance to elevate his legend and emulate his idol, Diego Maradona.
In a storied career, Messi winning the prize he most desires — and the only one to so far elude him — at the last possible opportunity would be his most seductive tale of all, as well as one of football’s great finales.
In inspiring Argentina to a third title, Messi would surely end the debate over his place in the pantheon of all-time players, putting clear, blue sky between himself and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Undeniably, though, there is something equally compelling about the other outcome, the prospect of the two players who dominated and defined this era both ending their careers without a World Cup.
Messi is also aiming to exorcise the ghost of the 2014 final, when Argentina lost to Germany, and ensure his legacy is not forever tinged with heartbreak.
At 35, he has never played better for his country. He goes into the final as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with France’s Kylian Mbappe, on five goals apiece, but leading the way for the Golden Boot, with three assists to Mbappe’s two.
He has provided characteristic moments of inspiration in all three knockout rounds: a trademark goal against Australia in the last 16; and breathtaking assists for Nahuel Molina and Julian Alvarez against Holland and Croatia, respectively. He is a man on a mission, and his team-mates and Scaloni have spoken of being inspired by Messi’s performances and leadership. “We play for the shirt, but we also play for him,” said midfielder Rodrigo De Paul.
This strength of feeling will collide with France’s strength of character and, in many respects, there could be no better way for Messi to finally fulfil his destiny than by beating Didier Deschamps’s world champions, who appear at once both unconvincing and to belong on this stage like no others.
While Argentina are driven by emotion — and will be supported by an estimated 50,000 fans in what will feel like another home atmosphere — France are powered by a steely conviction in their own quality. They have been here before, they know what it takes.
There might have been a more tribal or emotionally-charged final for Argentina, like a repeat of last summer’s Copa America showpiece against fierce rivals Brazil, or a more historically-significant match-up against old foes England. There could have been a more winnable contest on paper against, say, Morocco, who pushed France to the line.
But no opponent is more capable of spoiling Messi’s party than Deschamps’s winning machine, who are competing in their third final in four major tournaments.
Whereas Argentina’s players and staff struggled to hold back the tears, France were almost cold after their own semi-final win on Wednesday night.
Player-of-the-match Antoine Griezmann revealed he had cried after the win over Belgium at the same stage in 2018 but, this time, was already focused on the final. Mbappe celebrated by sitting on the floor to chew the fat with his friend but rival on the night Achraf Hakimi, while no French reporters told Hugo Lloris, who is on the brink of becoming the first man to captain a side to two World Cups, what he means to the country.
France are missing six key players to injury, Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano both sat out the win over Morocco and they were outplayed by England and Walid Regragui’s magnificent side. Yet, in both games, they found a way.
Equally, an inspired and inspiring Messi will be like no other opponent for Les Bleus. Deschamps has said his players will do “everything humanly possible” to limit his influence, although the obvious rebuttal is that so many of his opponents have insisted he is not human.
Deschamps also intends to make Argentina worry about his own threats, notably Mbappe and Griezmann, but everyone has a plan until Messi starts running.
If Messi is inspiring Argentina and evoking memories of Maradona, he, himself, is driven by the legend of Diego, the last player to single-handedly drag Argentina to glory in 1986. After Maradona’s shock death in 2020, one of things most often said by Argentines, including Messi, was that he could not die, he was “eternal” and would live on forever.
These are the stakes for Messi on Sunday: a lifetime of regrets or immortality.
