MESSI & Argentina Create History & Win COPA America 2021

- July 19, 2021

I love movies — they’re, at times, surreal — but sport is always real — there is no make-up, no CGI, no re-takes, no filters, no pre-scripted happy endings. Sport is a lot like life — it kicks you in the balls & smiles at you — then nonchalantly whispers — “You & your balls are gonna be alright — Now get up & go again!”

Ever since I fell in love with sports as a kid, I’ve believed in miracles. And life’s wicked experiences & true love have shown me there are no fairytale endings — just amazing in-betweens.

Each time, I feel like crap & want to disappear into the woods & never come back to the cities filled with humans like me, I always think of the shit & years of heartbreaks even superhumans like Lionel Messi have to go through. This bloke has won a record 34 trophies, scored a record 474 goals in La Liga, won 6 Ballon d’Ors [7^th coming soon]. The shy man is a magician on the football field like no other in the game’s glorious history. Yet, he’s often ridiculed by critics, Ronaldo fans, & his countrymen for not being good enough to win the World Cup & under-performing for Argentina. In 2020, Messi was betrayed by the Barcelona chairman — Josep Bartomeu & forced to stay with Barcelona when he desperately wanted out. Maradona famously — on camera — told Pele “Messi has zero personality” — that must have hurt Messi like hell.

Let’s go back all the way to when Messi was 6.

He began playing for Newell’s Old Boys {NOB} in Argentina. In the six years, he played for NOB, he scored 500 goals. In between, at age 10, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, which almost killed his professional career as his mom & dad ran out of cash for his lengthy treatment when he was 12. But his ridiculous talent caught the eye of Carles Rexach — first team director at Barcelona. After a lot of contractual conflicts, at age 13, Messi began playing for Barcelona’s youth team. At age 16, he debuted for Barcelona senior team. Since turning 18 in 2005, he’s been the heart of Barcelona’s ridiculously successful 1.5 decades.

Messi also began playing for Argentina in January 2005 — he was 17.

Now in July 2021 — he’s 34.

On July 11^th, Messi stepped on the Maracana Stadium pitch to play the final against Brazil. It’s the same ground Messi lost the World Cup final to Germany in 2014. He has also lost back-to-back Copa finals — ’15 & ’16 — both against Chile. The greatest player to grace football had gone through so many chilling heartbreaks that even almost all of Brazil was hoping Messi’s Argentina to win the Copa final.

Messi also knew that Argentina has never beaten Brazil in an international tournament in Brazil. He knew the next 90 minutes will define his legacy. The fucking pressure! No wonder humans invented cocaine [Fun Fact: Coca-Cola once had real cocaine in it.] to calm the nerves. Messi couldn’t drink Coke or snort Cocaine — he had to deal with the monstrous pressure of the colossal moment & ghosts of the past failures sober as a Moscow cow.

Argentina took the lead in the 22^nd minute with Angel Di Maria’s angelic goal.

And then defended for the next 68 minutes. Messi missed a bloody sitter in the 90^th minute — when he took a bad first touch & then slipped. Even fairytale endings on July 11 weren’t as perfect as Ocean’s 11’s perfect ending.

When the referee blew the final whistle with the scoreline Argentina 1 - 0 Brazil, Messi fell to his knees with his hands covering his face. He was instantly jumped by all his team-mates. Argentina’s 28-year wait for an international trophy was finally over.

In that moment, I really wished Maradona was alive this see this surreal moment in real sport. But he wasn’t. Nothing is ever perfect in life or sport. Even when it looks so perfect for you, there’s someone drenched in tears on the other side of the pitch.

Messi waited 17 years to create history with Argentina. He taught us that the difference between failure & victory isn’t destiny or luck — it’s giving up or never giving up.

Sport is also a lot like love. There will always be heartbreaks, but if you stay in the game long enough, keep your heart open like the skies long enough, something great will happen — a great love story will be written on the walls of your fleeting lives.

And that’s why I live — that’s why I wake everyday — not for perfect endings but for imperfect miracles & imperfect love stories that will live on beyond — You & I.