A reversal, the world sighed.
No one expected that the first upset in the Qatar World Cup would appear in Messi and his Argentina.
It is difficult to exchange goals for victories, and it is difficult to hide the loneliness of the king of the ball
How did you start your fifth World Cup journey? Messi's answer, of course, is to score.
In the first round of the World Cup Group C match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia in Qatar, Messi scored from a penalty in the 9th minute to give Argentina the lead. While everyone was expecting a big victory in Argentina, the goddess of victory did not favor in the end.
In the first half, Argentina fell into the offside trap one after another, and was late to score. At the start of the second half, Saudi Arabia took advantage of the slack of Argentina's defense to score two goals in a row to overtake the score. In the end, Messi and his Argentina broke out the biggest upset of this World Cup so far.
After the game, Messi's eyes could not hide the loneliness.
In an interview, Messi said: "There was a dead silence in the dressing room after the game, I know it was a very heavy blow and it was not easy to start the World Cup in this way, but I want the fans to believe us. ”
At the same time, Messi also stressed that "there is no excuse, we will be more united than ever." This team is strong and we've proven it. It's a situation that shouldn't happen and now we have to prove that we're a real team. ”
The hero is late, and the world is not allowed to see the white head
Before the World Cup, Messi had said Qatar could be his last World Cup trip. In fact, the current Messi, with the continuous aging of his physical functions, is no longer the dominant "Plum King".
Now, Messi has gradually lost the ability to blast in place, and is afraid of injuries and physical fitness, and his playing style is becoming more and more "healthy". If you want to be as fast as you were ten years ago, one person can handle the opponent's defense, and one person dominates the victory or defeat of a game, it is indeed not enough.
In the 10 years of the World Cup, Messi had dozens of shots, 0 goals and 1 assist, but all kinds of personal ability, interspersed with the level of creating a killing machine, so that the weak-looking Argentina team reached the quarterfinals. Today's Messi, although his consciousness is still superior, his body is obviously slightly old.
The hero is late, and the world is not allowed to see the white head. Remember when Messi made his first appearance, the CCTV commentator said: "Now the substitute is Argentine teenager Messi, this is his first time representing the national team in the World Cup, just two days ago he just passed his 19th birthday." ”
Now, the youngster has become a leader, and the 35-year-old has played for the national team in the World Cup for the fifth time.
Five World Cups, do you still believe him?
In 2006, the young Messi was brought into the Argentina World Cup squad. At first, he was still a little immature. He made his World Cup debut against Serbia and even scored a goal. In that session, he even won 1 goal and 1 assist.
After four years, at the World Cup in South Africa, Messi's performance was relatively bleak, only handing over 1 assist. In the round of eight, they met their old rivals, Germany. The strong attack of the Germanic tank overwhelmed Argentina, and Argentina lost by 4 goals.
The World Cup in Brazil was Messi's best performance to date. In this World Cup, Argentina appeared first in the group with a three-game victory, and Messi also played well in the group stage, even scoring a decisive world wave against Iran. Subsequently, in the knockout round, Argentina also defeated Belgium and the Netherlands to meet Germany in the final.
Had it not been for Gotze's goal, Messi would have led Argentina to the Hercules Cup at his prime age. At the World Cup in Brazil, Messi contributed 4 goals and 1 assist in 7 games.
In the last World Cup, although Argentina reached the round of 16, in the face of the favorite France, Messi's Argentina did not have much to parry, and was finally eliminated by France 4-2.
Playing in the World Cup for the fifth time, but accidentally losing the first game, although the outcome is uncertain, but for Messi and his Argentina, how to deal with it next will be crucial.
Cover News Reporter Yan Lei Intern Luo Qiyu