Messi strives for Argentina’s forever love

Lionel Messi's passionate performances at the Qatar World Cup are earning him oodles of love from Argentines, but their old favouritism for Diego Maradona may resurface unless he brings home the trophy on his final attempt.

The two diminutive and brilliant No. 10s have dazzled the world with their prolific goalscoring and strikingly similar styles, relying on low centre of gravity to swerve and slalom their way past defences, ball glued to flashing feet.

Yet only Maradona, who died two years ago, has won the biggest trophy. He dragged a mediocre team behind him in 1986 when his "Hand of God" goal against England became a symbol of national defiance after the shame of the Falkands War defeat.

For years, Argentine fans said that no matter how many Ballons d'Or and trophies Messi won with Barcelona, he could never match Maradona until he too lifted a World Cup.

And why, they asked, was he so shy and introverted whereas their lovable rascal Maradona had entertained them so richly with jokes, songs and expletive-laden tirades against authority?

Was Messi even a true Argentine anyway, some grumbled, especially older fans. After all, he left for Spain at 13 while Maradona was more one of their own, born in a slum and working his way up through local clubs including Boca Juniors.

Messi has, of course, enjoyed more success in sheer numbers of goals and honours than Maradona, even surpassing his national appearances this week as he drove Argentina into the last 16 of the World Cup. And he has kept himself in great shape whereas Maradona succumbed to drugs and wild living in ways that frustrated and saddened even his most loyal fans.

Those close to Messi say that though his shyness may have disguised it in the past, there was always nothing he longed for more than to bring glory to Argentina. That passion was laid bare when he broke down in tears after leading Argentina to the Copa America in 2021, their first major trophy in 28 years.

"Argentines always had a love-hate relationship with Messi," said 44-year-old fan Gustavo Franchini in Buenos Aires.

Many of the banners in Qatar show Messi and Maradona together, some depicting the late No. 10 smiling down from heaven at his heir.

There is a generation gap among those who remember and revere Maradona most and younger fans less prejudiced against Messi. And it seems the only way Messi can rally the whole of Argentina's love, or at least get close to it, is by bringing the nation its third World Cup.