Messi, we Love You!

My daughter slumped in her chair and cried uncontrollably, tears rolled down the cheeks of my wife. My son and I tried our best to rationalize the demise of a demi-god and stifle our tears.

The sight of a forlorn Messi staring into emptiness will forever haunt our memories. We were hoping that Messi would perform his magic and leave his mark on the world stage and silence his critics. But, alas it was not to be.

He loved to play football. This simple statement was often cited to explain the genius of Messi. He loved playing the beautiful game and it had taken him to dizzying heights but also constantly put him under severe pressure and unfair comparisons. The same game he loved so much had turned into a nightmare for him this world cup.  By his own admission, he “could not remember such suffering before”

In retrospect, we could see that the writing was on the wall. In the first game when he missed the penalty, during the National anthem for the second game he was visibly upset as he frowned and slumped throughout the game only to see his side go down without a fight.

In the third game against Nigeria, he delighted us with the sublime goal that showed us the glimpse of his genius. In the fatal game against France, he had two beautiful assists but could not score individually.

The apparent failure of Messi -repeatedly at the world stage underlines two factors. One, Football is a team sport. Individual brilliance may light up the game – like Messi and Ronaldo did in their respective games – but it is never enough to win the game.

Second, it is a game for youth. As Kylian Mbappe so powerfully proved, raw energy and exuberance of youth is far more consistent than the finesse and elegance that age and experience could only occasionally produce.  

That Kylian Mbappe chose to announce his arrival on the same stage where Messi failed to make his mark underlines this fact poignantly. One legend had walked away leaving the stage for the next generation to shine. 

By the time the kick off starts in Qatar 2022, Mbappe may have to face the kind of pressure that Messi faced. Will he shine, or will he wilt under the pressure that comes from being a genius and playing the game he loved?

Our love for Messi is not going to wane because of his apparent failure. Let us remember him for the magical moments he had created in his illustrious career. While we shed a tear or two for this disappointment let us celebrate his genius and the game that he loved so much. C'mon guys, let's Football!.