FIFA World Cup 2022 Final: Between retirements, Lionel Messi solves the Argentina puzzle
Hindustan TimesIt has been six years, five months and 21 days since June 26, 2016. For those who have followed the Argentina men's football team and its beloved captain Lionel Messi though, it may as well have been centuries since then. Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after Argentina's forward #09 Julian Alvarez scored his team's third goal from his assist during the Qatar 2022 World Cup football semi-final match between Argentina and Croatia at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on December 13, 2022. "For me, the national team is over," Messi had said quite suddenly and unexpectedly after Argentina lost to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final on penalties. This one has Messi smiling benignly, and rather awkwardly one might argue, as an Argentinian reporter decided to ditch the questions and tell him that he has touched every person in their country regardless of whether he won the World Cup or not after his masterful performance in the semi-final against Croatia.