The clock hit the 35th minute. Lusail Stadium, the 2022 World Cup Final, Doha. Argentina were in cruise control; Messi had given them the lead from the spot. Angel Di Maria had just scored Argentina’s second; finishing off a wonderful Argentine team move.
As the Argentinian players retreated to their own half following the goal celebration, Di Maria was visibly emotional. He couldn’t hold back his tears. It was the tears of redemption; it was the tears of happiness after shedding a huge throne off his back.
Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria hail from the same city- Rosario. The duo share the birthplace with the famous revolutionary figure Che Guevara. Di Maria and Messi have been teammates on the national team for a long time. The devastating effect that the Messi-Di Maria combination could bring came to the fore for the first time in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Since then, they have been together; in the hardest of losses and monumental victories.
Life on the national team wasn’t easy for Messi and Di Maria. The 2010 FIFA World Cup marked the first instance of Messi being ‘The Main Man’ for Argentina. Di Maria’s service was called on when needed from the bench. Disciplined Germans duly punished the tactical shortcomings of legendary Diego Maradona in the Quarterfinals. 23-year-old Messi exited without scoring a goal.
‘Albiceleste’ went through generational changes post-World Cup. Messi was made the captain of the side in 2012. By then, Messi was already a multi-time Balon d’Or Winner. The expectations mounted on his shoulder to deliver the same form for his nation. Di Maria took Europe by storm under Carlo Ancelotti in 2013-2014. ‘Fideo’ helped Real Madrid clinch the Champions League title, the 10th in the club’s history. Di Maria was the ‘Man of the Match’ as Madrid defeated city rivals Atletico in the final.
A crown of responsibilities
After architecting Madrid’s beloved ‘La Decima’ win, Di Maria was expected to carry the same form in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Argentina headed into the World Cup as one of the favorites. Messi’s goals guided Argentina through to the knockouts. Di Maria pulled his hamstring in the Quarterfinal and was forced to be substituted. He didn’t play any further part in the tournament.
Argentina never scored a goal in that World Cup since. Argentina had the best of chances against Germany in the final. There were moments when Argentina’s counterattack put the Germans in real trouble. The trouble could have turned into desperation had Di Maria been on the pitch. As Argentina squandered opportunity after opportunity to hurt Germany in transition, Di Maria, who was so vibrant and electric in the Champions League Final, watched with agony from the bench. With fewer threats on the pitch, Germany caged Messi throughout.
The story repeated again in the 2015 and the 2016 Copa America Final. Argentina dazzled throughout the tournament but everything fell apart just when it mattered the most. Di Maria went off injured in both the finals; Messi was left helplessly alone.
Messi had shouldered the burden throughout in each of the three final runs and just when he needed support, he was alone. The pain of defeats was too much for Messi to bear; he announced his retirement, only to return again following the outcry.
Between 2010-2019, with each international tournament, the burden on Messi’s shoulder became heavier and heavier. The nationalist Argentines argued that Messi would never sit at the same table as Maradona unless he delivered the World Cup title. A dismal Messi standing at the center circle with his hands on his hips had become a familiar sight in every international tournament. The face got sadder with time; perhaps on the realization that he may never win any title with Argentina.
The story started to change from the Copa America 2021. Now the seniors in the side, Messi and Di Maria helped Argentina reach yet another Copa America Final. Messi, yet again, was influential in Argentina’s run to the final. Di Maria’s cheeky finish gave Argentina a 1-0 victory against Brazil in the final. Messi and Di Maria finally won the international title with Argentina. Argentina broke their 28-year-old title drought in the iconic Maracana, the same stadium where they had lost the 2014 World Cup Final.
Now the monkey off the back, Argentina went on a winning spree since. The European champions Italy were taught a footballing lesson in ‘Finalissima 2022’ at Wembley. Argentina’s 36-game unbeaten streak was turned into the dust following a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in the 2022 World Cup. With the World Cup campaign on the line, Messi, yet again, rescued Argentina. The team rallied behind Messi; with each player bossing their role as Argentina progressed to the World Cup Final again.
Di Maria wasn’t fully fit and he didn’t start any of Argentina’s knockout matches, barring the final. He was vibrant in the final. Jules Kounde and Ousmane Dembele had a hard time controlling Di Maria’s trickery in the left wing. Di Maria won the penalty which Messi duly converted. Later, he was at the end of one of the most satisfying goal sequences. Argentina’s display in the first half of the final was arguably the most dominating display in the World Cup Final. The two Rosario boys conquered the world together.
Di Maria had been vocal about how much he rues missing those finals with Argentina. Messi went as far as saying that the 2014 World Cup Final defeat pained him every night. When given a chance again to rewrite the history, Messi and Di Maria gave everything they had in the 2022 World Cup Final.
There is no doubt that those defeats in three consecutive finals made the journey even more beautiful for Messi and Di Maria. Winning everything after failing multiple times makes those victories more satisfying. It is hard to imagine Argentina winning those finals without Di Maria. It is harder to imagine Argentina reaching those finals without Messi. The international career had been the only stain in Messi’s glorious career. The redemption arc was complete with Messi and Di Maria lifting the World Cup trophy aloft on December 18, 2022. The narrative that Messi needed an international title to be considered as the ‘GOAT’ ended. Today, Messi has everything that a professional footballer can ever dream of.
Messi feels that it was God’s will. Perhaps, it was the God himself who wanted to test Messi’s persistence before eventually bestowing him with what he deserved. In Western Culture, there is a belief that the Guardian Angel protects and guides the person through hard times. Maybe God sent Angel Di Maria as the ‘Guardian Angel’ to protect Messi when he needed it the most. As Di Maria bows out of the international career with another Copa America trophy, it is time to appreciate everything ‘Fideo’ has done for Argentina. Perhaps, Messi’s career wouldn’t have been so complete, had it not been for Di Maria.
