Each competition is a stage to be sent to. There is a starting point, there is an end, and as many back waves are tumbling, there are as many front waves as they are slapping on the beach. The 2022 Qatar World Cup is different from the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, in that the superstars who have jointly created the glory of world football in the past decade will collectively end the curtain, including the Golden Ball winners of the past 15 years. An era of football will wave goodbye to you and me in Qatar.
Messi is sure this is his last World Cup. IC picture
The last dance of the peerless double pride
4 years ago in Russia, when Mbappe came out in front of Messi like a chasing boy to tear through the Argentine team's defense, when Ronaldo helped the injured Cavani out of the game to look warm but was actually afraid of not enough time to turn over, on the same night, the peerless double pride stopped in the round of 16 at the same time, and the prelude to the farewell of the "Mero era" has begun.
In an exclusive interview before the World Cup, Messi confirmed that this will be his last World Cup, "This is my last World Cup, I think so. I feel good physically, I have a good pre-season this year, which I didn't have the previous year, and that's key."
Ronaldo has not said anything publicly. He will not admit age, will not admit that old age is coming, cannot accept aging, cannot accept that it is no longer the center of the universe, he will only become more and more annoyed, angry, spread his hands, fall the captain's armband and even leave the field early, will only write down the media reports in a small book, and "take revenge" after being criticized by his former teammates and ignore the other party without saying hello.
If the weight is light, dashing and reasonable, easy to write... Although Messi did not even score in the top 30 of the Ballon d'Or this year, he played more and more demonically and was praised and popular everywhere by away players, fans and even the manager. The 35-year-old Messi has a different way of living, playing football by the brain rather than the legs.
The stubborn Cristiano Ronaldo. IC picture
And a Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been slow for half a beat, tossed for a summer, forcing himself into a "transfer joke" and "locker room poison". These good qualities that once brought him to the altar, such as self-discipline, perseverance, and never giving up on honor, have been criticized as "character defects" that now make him "disrespectful to old age". The label of "egoist" is attached to the 37-year-old Ronaldo, "he only sees my honor, my record, my interests". With the attitude of "ruthless and even don't let yourself go", the teenager who walked from Madeira to the spotlight of the world, where to see the beauty of the white head, the hero of the twilight, where to calmly accept that God also has dusk.
Even if Ronaldo lasts another 4 years like Uncle Mila and stages a good show that "Ronaldo is three years old" 40+ years old and can still play in the World Cup and still score goals, it is a high probability that the "peerless double pride era" of world football will sink into the desert with the slanting sun of Qatar.
The World Cup is a complete pain for "Mero", who has dominated football for more than ten years, but compared to Messi who was so close and so far from the Hercules Cup 8 years ago, Ronaldo has not even set foot on the turf of the World Cup final. Compared with Busquets, Neuer, Muller and Lowry, who are also the "last dance" but have already touched the gold cup, this World Cup is of greater significance to "Mero".
It is a battle to realize dreams and an opportunity for redemption
Also ushering in the final opportunity to realize his dream is ST Golden Ball winner Benzema. Benze Cat, Stupid Horse, Backpot Man, Ronaldo's best wingman, the criminal who blackmailed his teammates... Benzema was willing to be a green leaf, endure misunderstandings, and perseverance, and finally staged a good show of hard work and late bloom at the age of 35. But he missed the perfect opportunity to lift the Hercules Cup with his teammates four years ago.
Benzema returned to the national team at last year's European Championships. Xinhua News Agency
Although the defending champions are still the favourites to win the title, but the injured camp and the increasingly uncontrollable President may ignite the fuse of "infighting" at any time, can a Benzema in his peak fill all the holes of the French team, bring home the Gold Cup, and make his career without regrets?
Also who do not want to leave regrets is Thiago Silva. The 38-year-old former captain of the Brazilian squad has proven his worth in Milan, Paris and Chelsea in his career. But as Brazil's best centre-back for nearly 10 years, the fiasco of the century and failure to win the 2014 World Cup on home soil is a humiliation that cannot be erased to this day. Although the 1-7 defeat and the "sister-in-law" were absent due to injury, the blow and pressure were unprecedented. Qatar is Thiago Silva's last chance of redemption.
Neymar will wear Brazil's No.10 for the third World Cup. Xinhua News Agency
Is that true for Neymar too? Neymar has said many times that he will treat the Qatar World Cup as his last. Nei, who was hailed as Pele's successor at the time of his debut, did not bring the Hercules Cup to the Brazilian team, nor did he achieve hegemony in the post-Mero era, but let the younger Mbappe and Haaland directly take over the flag. Whether to win a Champions League title for Paris or to upgrade five-star Brazil to six, if you have to choose between one of the two, Neymar would probably prefer to choose the latter on the way to proving his worth. Playing the 2022 World Cup as his last World Cup, Neymar may just be motivating himself, "I will do my best to win the title with my country." To fulfill my childhood dream, I hope to achieve (winning the championship)."
"Gold" fades unabated
For Modric, Lewandowski, Bale and Suarez, the dream of the Golden Cup is not easy, and the emphasis is on performance.
Suarez has often made amazing moves on the World Cup stage. Xinhua News Agency
Suarez, who will represent Uruguay at the World Cup for the fourth time, signed a short contract with his parent team, the Uruguayan national team, in order to maintain his form. "goal-line handball" "raw gnawing coconut", Suarez's previous three World Cup performances were the best results of his previous three World Cup trips in 2010. This year, Uruguay coach Diego Alonso believes that Uruguay has the ability to challenge for the World Cup title, not to mention whether he is too optimistic, at least Suarez's wish is "this year's World Cup, I hope Uruguay will play Argentina in the final".
Modric, who brought Croatia to the final stage four years ago, is still the midfield magician, with skills and experience at the peak, but at the age of 37, he can no longer chase the wind. Although the Plaid have reached the UEFA Nations League semi-finals, they will have to make up for the regret of four years ago, unless there is a miracle.
The 37-year-old Modric is still one of the world's top midfielders. Xinhua News Agency
Also hoping to prove himself on the World Cup stage is Lewandowski. The number of goals has been stable at 40+ for seven consecutive seasons, and this season's switch to Barca has not reduced his impressive efficiency of averaging one goal per game in the Bundesliga, but the "world's first striker" has always hated the Ballon d'Or and the tournament. Poland's greatest star in the last 30 years, Lewandowski has led the team to the World Cup three times before, but only broke through in 2018. Lewandowski's World Cup debut, played three games in the group stage but did not score. Lewandowski knows the level of his team-mates and may first want to score more goals than to hit the Hercules Cup.
This time the World Cup stage finally ushered in Bale, even if he is no longer the fast horse who can "pass the ball to himself in three seconds". Bale only played seven times for Real Madrid last season, scoring one goal and no assists, but he single-handedly carried a team in the World Qualifiers, playing 570 minutes and averaging 63 minutes to one goal. Before the final play-off match of the World Cup in Wales ended, the World Cup official tweeted and wrote: "Mr. Big Scene! Bell he is coming! This is Wales' second appearance in the World Cup finals after 1958, the 33-year-old 'Great Saint's' World Cup debut, but it should also be the last.
Even the 31-year-old world-number one playmaker De Bruyne isn't sure if this is his last World Cup: "My family is going to watch the group stage. I'm 31 years old and I don't know what will happen in 4 years. This is the first time my kids have watched the World Cup. ”
Following in the footsteps of Modric, Lewandowski, Bale, Suarez and even De Bruyne are the footsteps of the golden generation of Croatia, Poland, Wales, Uruguay and Belgium.
Nandu reporter Tao Xinlei