Footballing connoisseurs all over the world are feasting on the FIFA World Cup, and to tell the truth, it’s nothing short of a festival for them. But for a country in the southern half of South America, it hardly seems to be a feast worth celebrating.
Argentina ended their World Cup opener with a 1-1 scoreline against Iceland and a point in Group D. Kudos to the Scandinavians for emerging with a point after an impressive display of defensive resilience. However, they are the least of anybody’s worries at the moment.
Time and again Lionel Messi has been held at gunpoint for not delivering and the game against Iceland was no different. The little magician was denied a penalty and he found himself being guillotined for the same at the end of 90 minutes.
Why doesn’t he deliver for Argentina? That’s a question asked by each and every one of the Albiceleste faithful. And when he is pitted against his nemesis Ronaldo, the comparison aggravates the vexation, given how the Portuguese talisman carries his nation almost single-handedly on numerous occasions (including recently against Spain).
Dependence on Messi
Having a player like Lionel Messi in your team is a stuff of dreams; deep down in our hearts we all have longed and wished to see the Barcelona forward in the colours of our favourite clubs, barring the ever so lucky Barcelona fans.
Let’s take the game vs Iceland as an example. The likes of Maximiliano Meza and Angel Di Maria, Messi’s partners in the midfield, hardly created any chances for their subordinates to score.
They weren’t ready to take the risk and passed the ball to Messi a number of times, expecting him to create the magic for Albiceleste.
The mammoth pressure on his shoulders
Over the years, winning an international trophy seems to have become an obsession for Lionel Messi, a task he wants to get done with as quickly as possible. With him losing 4 finals and Cristiano Ronaldo winning the Euro in 2016, the pressure on his shoulders has mounted to the zenith.
Luck has unfairly defied him
Winners make their own luck. That seems impressive, but only as a quote. Realities present a far too different scenario, and whether we like it or not, humans must ultimately bow to their respective fates.
Lionel Messi has already guided Argentina to 4 finals and won none. But does it imply that he isn’t the best of his generation or even the GOAT? a big fat NO.