Messi's participation in another World Cup to be seen, after the defeat against France – International Football – Sports

Didier Deschamps went away from the euphoric party of his young players after the frenzied 4-3 against Argentina to approach a player who seemed petrified. He came from behind, which is why Lionel Messi did not know who was comforting him. It could not be Jorge Sampaoli, who just finished the match went to the locker room. The grip of the French coach was genuine, a noble gesture on the part of someone who, in 1998, was world champion, a goal that could never reach the "10" Argentine . at the Messi if Russia would be his last World Cup, the answer came with conviction: "No, he will be in Qatar, he will arrive well even when he is 35, he will play more, he will distribute more play at instead of defining but it will go. " Now it will be necessary to let a prudential time to raise the same question, because the World Cup is already, very clearly, the chest of bad memories of Messi. Javier Mascherano asked him to continue, but it could happen that Messi does not want to know anything else with the team.

Pbadionate about blue and white since childhood, this jersey has introduced him to the toughest aspects of football. also gave great joys. If Jose Perkerman left him at the bank in 2006 against Germany, in a match where the locals saw with great fear the opportunity to face him, in 2010 he suffered Diego Maradona as that & # 39; coach. Brazil 2014 was a success with the finalist, but Messi failed in the final against Neuer, a goal that was multiplied in his life,
coming diagonally from the left.

It is today that, four years later, no one in his family is talking to him about this purpose that he has not played. "It hurts too much" they explain. Surely it hurts, but it was at least in the final. Russia 2018, meanwhile, went down in history as the most incomprehensible World Cup of the FC Barcelona race, and not just for the goodbye in the round of 16. Consuelo de fools: if twenty years go by and no one knows exactly what happened to Ronaldo in the finals of France 98, it could well happen that a few days, weeks and, of course, years, until it is clear what happened to Messi Worst World Cup of his career. The three weeks spent in Russia have seriously damaged his image as the best player on the planet. That Cristiano Ronaldo followed his path a few hours later speaks only of the competitiveness of football today.

Brazil 2014, a seven-game World Cup for Argentina, showed a Messi that went from major to minor. Without him, the group stage would not have been crossed, but with him, he could not impose a decisive advantage in the final. Russia, on the other hand, was something else, an almost permanent need and not a power. Or worse: the impression that sometimes he was overwhelmed by the certainty that the case had no solution. It is true that the selection of Sampaoli was chaotic and fell as little into the usual sin with Messi, that of not knowing what to do with him, that of not having the ball at the right time and good in law .

But at this point, with almost 13 years in the national team, Messi must have a concrete idea of ​​the problem. The striking thing, then, is that you do not find at least something that comes close to a solution. The & # 39; 10 & # 39; It only shined against Nigeria, with a goal and a huge football demonstration while the team was on the ropes. He had Ever Banega as an ally, something that did not happen this Saturday against France. The most striking, however, was what happened after going bad during the debut against Iceland. Messi has entered into days of silence and introspection, which has worsened with the defeat by a landslide against Croatia. Quite an enigma.

In any case, the & # 39; 10 & # 39; is too big for football to depreciate. Said Paul Pogba this Saturday, one of those impetuous Frenchmen who threw him out of the World Cup: " 15 years ago I see him playing Messi, I'm learning from him and he makes me love football, it will always be my idol]