Watched on by more than three billion people every four years, the FIFA World Cup is an opportunity for a player to define his legacy as one of the greats on the world’s biggest sporting stage. Couple that with the sense of unity and enormous passion it brings out of fans from all walks of life – and it’s easy to see why winning a World Cup trophy is so important to so many people.
That is one of the reasons why this year’s tournament in Qatar is of such interest – with a number of all-time greats who have achieved almost everything in the game vying for their maiden World Cup title. With that comes pressure however – and one player who will most certainly be under the microscope over the next five weeks or so is Lionel Messi.
The 5’6 Argentine is considered by many to be the greatest of all time, with his achievements at an individual and club level largely unmatched. With ten La Liga titles, four Champions League triumphs and seven Ballon d’Ors to his name – the 35-year-old’s résumé speaks for itself. However, it’s his lack of silverware at the international level which has drawn the ire from critics.
Making his debut in a World Cup in Germany in 2006 – the hype surrounding Messi and the Argentinian national football team has been sky high since, yet they’ve been unable to deliver that elusive World Cup title. Messi and company came close in 2014, making the final in Brazil. They would ultimately lose that game 1-0 to Germany however, with Messi’s performance coming under fire in the aftermath.
Fast-forward four years and Argentina bowed out in the round of 16, losing 4-3 to eventual champions France at the World Cup in Russia. Once again, a large portion of the blame fell on Messi’s shoulders. He was beginning to garner a reputation in some people’s eyes as an incredibly gifted player who exceeds for his club – yet can’t handle the enormous pressure when playing for his country. While that appears harsh – it comes with the territory when you’re as great as Messi.
He would eventually get the proverbial monkey off his back in the Copa America, guiding Argentina to the title with a 1-0 victory over fierce rivals Brazil. While that win did plenty to help dispel concerns surrounding Messi’s ability to perform in the international arena – there are still those who need to see him win an international tournament as prestigious as the World Cup – just like former Argentine great Diego Maradona managed to do in 1986.
2022 will be his last chance to do so, with Messi confirming he will retire from international football before the 2026 World Cup in the United States. If he can break through and win it all this year – it will be the icing on the cake on an unbelievable career. If he can’t, for some, Messi’s career will have a cloud forever hanging over it.
For those interested in the football betting odds at this World Cup, Argentina entered as the third favourites, behind Brazil and reigning champions France.
