- Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer.
- He has consistently performed admirably for his country, alongside Juan Sebastien Veron, Diego Maradona, and Gabriel Batistuta.
- His ability on the field has earned him numerous league titles, Champions League trophies, domestic cups, and Ballon D’ors, to name a few.
- He came agonizingly close in 2014, and the stars seemed to be aligning for the Barcelona legend, but he narrowly missed out after Mario Goetze’s extra-time winner.
- At 35 years old and in the twilight of his career, it is likely that the 2022 Qatar World Cup will be his final appearance at the tournament.
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Who is Lionel Messi?
Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer. Lionel Messi currently plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains Argentina.
Throwback
You probably don’t need to be a football expert to recognize Lionel Messi.
The Argentinian forward is widely regarded as the greatest player in the world, if not all time, and has had an incredible career filled with personal and team highlights.
He has consistently performed admirably for his country, alongside Juan Sebastien Veron, Diego Maradona, and Gabriel Batistuta.
All of them have had a huge impact on football, but Messi claims to be the best of the bunch.
Despite being the GOAT and having a trophy cabinet the size of a library, the most prestigious trophy in international football has eluded him throughout his illustrious career.
As a result, it will be his final opportunity to lift that illustrious golden trophy.
They are currently 5/1 to win the World Cup, but how will they obtain the coveted gold trophy?
Argentina won the Copa America tournament last summer, ending a 28-year wait for a major international trophy, defeating rivals Brazil in the final.
While it was a welcome end to the drought and Messi’s first international trophy, it was primarily viewed as a springboard for this winter’s World Cup finals.
They went unbeaten in their qualifying games, finishing second in the table to Brazil, who also went unbeaten.
While their offensive talent is obvious, their defense has been outstanding since head coach Lionel Scaloni took over in 2018.
La Albiceleste has only conceded six goals in 22 games since their opening group game at last year’s Copa America.
Argentina’s center-back pairing of young starlet Cuti Romero and veteran Nicolas Otamendi has provided a solid defensive foundation, and they will be crucial to their World Cup chances.
However, it is clear how important Lionel Messi is to the team going forward. Messi, their all-time leading goal scorer with 90 goals, has carried the attack on his back for 164 games, setting a record.
With four goals, he won Copa America’s golden boot as well as the tournament’s player of the year award.
However, he is not their only attacking option, and Angel Di Maria’s performances have been crucial.
Despite his age, his ability to run at defenders has not diminished, and at 34 years old, he only appears to be getting better.
He scored Argentina’s lone goal in the Copa America final and will run himself into the ground for the sake of the team.
Lionel Scaloni also named Julian Alvarez, Paulo Dybala, and Lautaro Martinez to his 26-man squad, giving Italy an incredibly deep attacking depth when compared to other nations.
While Messi will undoubtedly get all of the attention, Lionel Scaloni has been the driving force behind Argentina’s success.
During his tenure, he has outperformed expectations, and the 44-year-old is currently riding a 35-game win streak dating back to 2019.
Scaloni, who worked as an assistant to former national team manager Jorge Sampaoli at the World Cup in Russia four years ago, appeared to be little more than an afterthought after Sampaoli’s departure.
However, he was appointed as caretaker before taking on the full-time position, and the Argentine federation has never looked back since.
He has a close relationship with Lionel Messi and is the reason Messi returned to the national team after seemingly abandoning them after their disastrous World Cup campaign in 2018.
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Argentina would almost certainly be a contender for the 2022 World Cup without Messi, but with him, they are a legitimate contender.
The team is clearly built around him, and his influence is priceless, as evidenced by how the entire squad ran to him following their Copa America final victory.
Whether or not he wins the trophy, Messi’s footballing legacy will live on for decades.
However, Argentina as a whole will be hoping to bring home the trophy for Messi as well as themselves.
This is likely to be Messi’s final World Cup appearance, so enjoy his greatness while you can.
