Lionel Messi had previously come agonizingly close to winning the World Cup, suffering an extra-time defeat against Germany in the 2014 tournament held in Brazil.
When Messi finally lifted the World Cup trophy in Qatar last December, on his fifth and seemingly final attempt, it marked the final missing piece in what could arguably be considered the greatest footballing career of all time.
However, the victory itself was just one part of the remarkable story.
Behind the scenes, and especially on the grandest stage of all, Messi’s transformation in the Middle East was evident for all to see.
The 35-year-old’s genius on the field had long been undeniable and unquestionable. But his character had undergone a significant change. As a teenager, Messi was so painfully shy that he would change in the corridor to avoid his Barcelona youth teammates.
“This World Cup he was different,” remarked Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper for both Argentina and Aston Villa.
“We are probably more aggressive than the players in the national teams he’s played with before. So he’s probably becoming a little more like us – that bad boy.”
In the recently-released documentary “Lionel Messi: Destiny,” several stars delve into and analyze Messi’s final evolution from a timid teenage prodigy to a talismanic “bad boy.”
Diego Maradona, always known for his colorful remarks, captured the sentiment of the nation when he expressed his doubts about Lionel Scaloni’s appointment as the Argentina manager in 2018.
“Lionel Scaloni was appointed based on Messi’s preference,” commented Maradona. “It was a deliberate decision by the Argentine Football Association to keep a generational talent onside and in the team.”
Prior to Scaloni’s appointment, Messi had a strained relationship with the national team and, at times, with the national coach. Following a comprehensive defeat by Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup, then-coach Maradona criticized Messi’s leadership qualities.
The 2018 World Cup campaign turned into a fiasco, resulting in an early exit for Argentina and another change in coaching staff, with Jorge Sampaoli taking over. In between these tournaments, in 2016, Messi briefly retired from international football after missing a penalty in the Copa America final loss to Chile.
These setbacks prompted the Argentine Football Association to prioritize keeping their star player content when appointing Scaloni as the manager.
“The FA had one objective: to find a manager who could work with Messi and bring out the best in him,” explained Messi biographer Guillem Balague. “When Scaloni took over, he asked Messi, ‘What do you think? What would work for you?’ It was an equal conversation, and when you have the best player in the world, you have to do that.”
Argentine journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo added, “His appointment received little press coverage or fanfare – there seemed to be little urgency to pursue big names. Most people were furious. We didn’t know much about him. The thought was that the job should have gone to a football celebrity or an influential figure, but it ended up being someone relatively unknown.”
Messi and Scaloni, who were both players in the Argentina squad during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, reunited for the 2022 campaign.
Scaloni’s anonymity, small-town humility, and lack of ego resonated with the Argentina squad, especially with Messi.
“Scaloni is very relaxed,” noted Julian Alvarez, the forward for Argentina and Manchester City. “He’s very honest and has that small-town vibe. I can identify with that because I also come from a small town, and you can see that human quality in him.”
Martinez added, “Having talented players is one thing, but knowing how to manage them is another. It’s like having a Ferrari – if you don’t know how to drive it, you’ll crash at every turn. That’s the only way I can explain Scaloni – he knows exactly how to drive a Ferrari.”
Creating a home away from home in Qatar was crucial in keeping Messi and the entire Argentina squad content. Despite leaving Argentina as a teenager, Messi maintained a strong connection to his Argentine roots, particularly his hometown of Rosario.
“He speaks with an Argentinean accent, eats Argentinean food, watches Argentinean films, and listens to Argentinean music,” shared Jonathan Wilson, the author of “Angels With Dirty Faces,” a footballing history of Argentina.
Scaloni and the Argentine Football Association went to great lengths to provide Messi and his teammates with a taste of home, establishing a “Little Argentina” at their World Cup base in Qatar University.
During Scaloni’s early days as the manager, some of the younger players bonded with Messi by knocking on his hotel door and inviting him to play the Argentine card game Truco.
The same game, along with Argentine tea called mate, and, most importantly, asados (barbecues) featuring imported Argentine beef, became ubiquitous in Qatar. It was reported that the team brought in 900kg of meat for their campaign.
“For all the Argentine people, if you have mate and a beautiful barbecue, you don’t need anything else in life,” expressed Messi’s former Argentina teammate Pablo Zabaleta.
According to Balague and Mora y Araujo, these efforts played a crucial role in bringing out the best in Messi, allowing the world’s top player to reconnect with his childhood that was left behind when he moved to Barcelona at the age of 13.
On the pitch, the echoes of Messi’s childhood were most evident during the quarter-final victory over the Netherlands.
Dutch manager Louis van Gaal had questioned Messi’s work rate off the ball before the match, sparking anger among his teammates and fueling a historic rivalry between the two.
“Attacking Leo… you shouldn’t do that to Argentines,” commented Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton.
In the 73rd minute of the quarter-final, Messi celebrated Argentina’s second goal by standing in front of the dugout, cupping his ears in what appeared to be a mocking gesture aimed at Van Gaal’s previous comments.
Messi and former Argentina international Juan Roman Riquelme have since become close friends. However, during Riquelme’s brief season at Barcelona in 2002, their relationship was more one of adulation.
Riquelme’s former agent once recalled a teenage Messi “sitting and looking at Riquelme as if he were Jesus Christ” during a barbecue arranged for Barca’s South American players.
Mora y Araujo suggested that Messi’s celebration against the Netherlands, which closely resembled Riquelme’s signature celebration, also reflected his frustration at his friend being played out of position during their time under Van Gaal at Barcelona in the early 2000s.
“It was surprising to see that from Messi,” she remarked. “The nod to Riquelme was unexpected.”
Regardless of the motivation behind the celebration, Messi’s assertiveness didn’t stop there.
After the match, the Argentine forward confronted Dutch assistant coach Edgar Davids on the sidelines. In the tunnel, he even interrupted his live TV interview to insult the Netherlands player he referred to as “number 19,” Wout Weghorst.
“In the tunnel on the way to the changing rooms, ‘number 19’ passes by,” added Mora y Araujo. “Messi interrupts the interview to say, ‘go away silly,
