What a whirlwind year 2022 has been. We’re now left with a few days before we usher in 2023, but there are still a few dates to look forward to, especially those football enthusiasts like me.
Sunday, December 18, is when football fans will find out if Argentina’s Lionel Messi succeeds in ending his remarkable international football career with the one trophy that has eluded him, the Fifa World Cup.
The little magician has already dazzled us in Qatar, his genius and ability at an age in which most footballers worry more about their last pay cheque than much else. We will be blessed to see Messi in Sunday’s final at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar in what will be his 172nd match and probably last for the La Albiceleste.
In 2014 a 27-year-old Messi was part of the Argentinian side that lost 1-0 to Germany in the World Cup final in Brazil. Messi has already said the final will be his last match in national colours, but the most capped Argentinian can’t be ruled out of coming in to lead the team again in 2026 where Argentina could be defending champions if they win for the third time on Sunday.
Personally, I’m rooting for Messi to win and once and for all end the nonsensical debate about whether he is the best football player we’ve seen in the past three decades. For me, that debate is a non-starter because I’ve long concluded that he is the greatest player, whether he’s won a World Cup trophy or not.
In Qatar, Messi has again demonstrated what a team player he is. This is a player who in one moment you’ll see deep into his own half trying to help his team defend, while in the next he’s in the opposition half tearing it apart with an aim to either score or provide an assist.
These stats show Argentina wanted to win this trophy while entertaining us with free flowing football. The Croatians wanted to win but entertaining us was far from what they had planned.
What Messi demonstrated in Argentina’s third goal in their 3-0 victory over Croatia in Tuesday’s semifinal, where he laid a beautiful pass to Julian Alvarez to complete his brace, was how football should be played. Having skinned a number of defenders, Messi still had the ability to lift his head to see Alvarez was in a better position to score. An ordinary player would have seen the headlines flashing and tried to score himself, but not Messi who has showed both at club and international level the importance of putting the team first.
Messi’s goal in Tuesday’s game, his fifth in the tournament, saw him surpass the 10 goals he shared with countryman Gabriel Batistuta in World Cup tournament goals.
“There are a lot of years [four] from this year to the next [World Cup]. I don’t think I will be able to do that [to continue]. To finish this way is brilliant,” Messi told reporters after Tuesday’s victory.
But what has set apart Argentina from other teams in Qatar? For me it’s simple and it is what makes football such a watchable game. We watch the game for few things and most of all to see teams want to score while entertaining the fans. Argentina have been doing both from the first game in Qatar that they lost 3-1 to Saudi Arabia.
The difference between Argentina and Croatia is quite alarming. On one hand you had a team that wanted to attack and score goals, while the other (Croatia) was content to avoid conceding and looking to stretch the game to extra time and penalties, where they had success in the last 16 against Japan and last eight against Brazil.
Football would be more watchable if teams focused more on what Argentina and Brazil did in Qatar. These South American giants concentrated more on scoring and winning games than worrying about what their opponents were doing.
Argentina have had 37 attempts on target in six matches (20 in the first round and 17 in knockout stage), scoring 12 goals (five by Messi and four by Alvarez). That’s an average of six attempts and two goals per match. Croatia on the other hand were clearly in the tournament to mostly defend and try to catch their opponents on the counter-attack. The Croatians had 23 attempts on target in six matches (16 in the first round and scoring six goals and seven attempts in the three knockout matches without a goal).
These stats show Argentina wanted to win this trophy while entertaining us with free flowing football. The Croatians wanted to win but entertaining us was far from what they had planned, hence their two penalty shoot-out wins to progress to the semis.
So as we wait for Sunday’s final, my wish is that Messi closes his remarkable chapter in the international game with a World Cup trophy in his hands. He fully deserves it and should be among players considered for the player of the tournament for the sheer brilliance he has produced at his advanced age.
While, as an African, I should be leaning towards Morocco to meet Argentina in the final, for the sake of attacking, I declare I would prefer an A-list encounter between Messi and his PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe who plays for France.
After all, France went into Wednesday night’s semifinal with a far superior attacking record than Morocco, who like Croatia have been more astute in defending.
Attacking football, for me, is the future and essence of football. Those doing the opposite don’t really deserve our support no matter where they originate.
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