Messi has been on an emotional roller coaster at the World Cup and his actions and reactions, particularly towards Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, have been the subject of much discussion.
Argentina’s World Cup journey began with a surprising loss to Saudi Arabia. This shook the confidence of fans and players alike. However, Messi has led the charge in their resurgence. First, he scored against Mexico and then contributed to the win over Poland despite missing a penalty.
The match against the Netherlands was particularly intense. Before the game, Van Gaal criticized Messi’s playing style and off-the-ball contributions. That seemed to inspire Messi, who assisted on the goal and converted the penalty and held his hands over his ears in celebration – a move he later admitted he regretted.
Messi admitted as much in an interview with ESPN, in which he reflected on his spontaneous celebration inspired by the cartoon character “Topo Gigio”. In the cartoon, a player covers his ears with his hands to show contempt for someone. However, Messi immediately expressed regret.
“As soon as I did it I thought: ‘What an idiot. They can still draw. These things usually happen,” he said.
path to glory
Argentina’s journey doesn’t stop there. They defeated Croatia in the semi-finals, with Messi scoring and assisting Julian Alvarez. The final against France was a true test of resilience and skill. Argentina took the lead with goals from Messi and Di Maria. However, France forward Kylian Mbappe has other plans. His late goal sent the game into overtime.
Messi scored again in overtime, but Mbappe equalized, sending the game into a tense penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was the hero, making a crucial save to secure Argentina’s victory.
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