Lionel Messi prepares for final Argentina appearance in Buenos Aires
When Lionel Messi makes his final appearance for Argentina against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental stadium on Tuesday, it will close an international career spanning more than two decades. This departure concludes a path that started when national football administrators were unfamiliar with his identity, eventually blossoming into one of the most lasting connections in athletic history.
From Unrecognized Teenager to National Captain
The journey started with Argentina scrambling to identify a teenage prodigy developing far from home. While Spain tried to persuade him to represent their national team, his own country barely knew he existed. Spain defeated Argentina 3-2 following extra time during the semi-finals of the 2003 Under-17 World Cup held in Finland. Argentine journalist and author Sergio Levinsky, who wrote “Messi and Everything Else”, noted that Messi went through moments that felt like entirely different eras, enduring immense early suffering with the national team.
Following that tournament, a young Cesc Fabregas, who scored twice and played alongside Messi at Barcelona, told Argentine delegates that Argentina lost because Spain had their best player. Argentina youth coach Hugo Tocalli recalled a similar encounter at the Ole Summit, where Spain’s head chef told him Argentina needed the Barcelona-based kid to win.
Finding the boy from Rosario proved difficult for the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Staff member Omar Souto located the Messi family in Spain using a Rosario phone book, but proceeded to ask for “Leonardo Messi: The Forgotten Tape Mecci c” because officials believed he might be Italian. The family corrected him, stating his name was Lionel, according to the documentary “Messi: The Forgotten Tape”. Administrative confusion persisted when the AFA sent Barcelona a fax inquiring about a player called “Mecci”, spelling the surname with a double “c” because officials believed he might be Italian.
Early Scepticism and the Turning Point in 2011
Messi played two under-20 friendlies for Argentina in 2004, marking his first appearances in the blue and white stripes. Yet scepticism lingered. Argentina dropped their opening match at the 2005 Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands while Messi started on the substitutes’ bench. Levinsky explained that strong resistance existed toward calling up a player who did not play domestically, forcing Messi to fight against being considered a foreigner.
Critics frequently accused him of failing to reproduce his club form, labelling him “pecho frio” for allegedly lacking heart or fire. A World Cup qualifier against Colombia in 2011 began to alter that perception. Messi helped Argentina rally from a goal down to win in difficult conditions.
Levinsky described Messi as exhausted and vomiting during the match before ultimately securing the victory, marking the first time fans viewed him differently.
Messi Leads Argentina to World Cup Victory
The bond deepened significantly when Messi briefly retired following Argentina’s penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the 2016 Copa America final. Instead of placing blame on him, Argentines pleaded publicly for his return. Supporters realised he was not responsible for the defeats, but rather the driving force getting them to finals.
Under coach Lionel Scaloni, Messi evolved into the undisputed leader of a new generation. He guided Argentina to two Copa America titles and victory at the 2022 World Cup. His development into a more outspoken captain drew frequent comparisons with Diego Maradona. Levinsky argued that the traditional debate between Argentina’s two biggest icons misses the point, emphasizing that both were geniuses in different eras.
Levinsky observed that Argentina’s affection for Messi developed gradually around a player whose career unfolded abroad. He likened the experience to suddenly discovering an eighteen-year-old son whom one had to begin loving without prior acquaintance, describing the relationship as a love under construction.