Rajat Subhra Chatterjee
0049
Rosario. In Argentina.
It is the largest city in the central Argentine province of Santa Fe. This is the birthplace of Che Guevara and Lionel Messi and also of his best friend Di Maria. By now the most famous city to millions of Messi lovers. Some 30 years back when Messi was five, he was to play a local football final but was kept locked in a bathroom by the opponent so that he couldn’t take part. What Messi did was what he would be doing later on field. He broke open the window, came out and played and won his first prize which was a by-cycle. That breaking open the defensive four walls, was just the beginning of a pattern and skill – what the whole world have witnessed during next 30 years, hoodwinking and mesmerizing opponents on the field of football. The instinct was within. The skill was God sent.
But the boy had a problem of growth hormone. Lot of money was required for that treatment. Primitive help came his way. But his home clubs, Newells Old Boys and River Plate, refused to sign any contract with this problem child fearing drainage of money. So Messi had to leave his home land and anchored in Barcelona. The Spaniard coach Carles who was supposed to take the trial of Messi was then in Sydney. So Leo and his father had to wait. When Leo became almost homesick, came back that Coach-Carles. He saw Leo for few a minutes on ground and offered his father the briefest contract ever. He wrote on a paper napkin, seating in a restaurant – “ Let him stay with me.” That was 14 December, 2000. Just after 22 years, Leo is telling the whole world – ‘ let the Cup rest with me.’
The little Leo perhaps could understand the importance of staying on. Perhaps that is why, even after the stadium lights were being switched off completely, Leo used to sit on the grass and tried to communicate with eternity which may have built in him a sense of stillness being born in such a emotional country.
Four decades.
80s & 90s belonged to Messi’s God Diego Maradona. When that God first appeared, with that supreme skill, Diego became an instant love with fans. Maradona. Only this name was being chanted. After monumental success aided with stupendous skill in 1986, came 1990. The high point of supreme skill came during the match in the round of 16 against Brazil. In the 81st minute, Maradona dribbled past four Brazilians, escaping that horrendous foul attempt of Alemao, crossing the iron man Dunga, chipped in a defence splitting through in the midst of three more defenders to Claudio Caniggia, who had just to push in for the goal in the backdrop of utmost humiliation and barracking from 70 thousand strong home supporters. Maradona by then was waving and running behind the goal post with his customary raised hands. The goal against England in 1986 and this goal against Brazil have remained as Maradona’s best. And then in 1994, Maradona was pitted against American capitalism. To quote Maradona after his ban – “ FIFA has cut off my feet away from football.” He belonged to that generation.
After Pele, Brazil got Falcao, Socrates, Zico. In the 90s they got Romario, Bebeto. Then Ronaldo, Ronaldinho. But after the world crown in 1986, no one even came nearer to the image of colossus Maradona during next 30 years. Batistuta was a powerful striker. In the new millennium, Riquelme, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Pablo Aimar came but none could become another Maradona.
Far away from these maddening crowd, Leo Messi stood still. During his Vesuvius like advent 17 years back in front of European audience, everyone admitted in chorus, – yes, Messi was a wonder talent. He was different. A rare breed who continued to win hearts and started becoming a treat to watch. However, with the continued progress of Messi and successes he met with, gradually Maradona image started waning to a little extent. As Messi dribbled past hoards of defenders, he never cared if his skills were like Van Ghogh or like Nikhil Banerjee’s Kafi. While Maradona was the symbol of volatile arrogance, haughtiness and insubordination, Messi did not belong to this indivinity. He was the God sent divine messenger of non-destructiveness. His liberality and quiet exterior always hide his inner focused soul like ‘Arjuna’ to achieve his target. He has been like modern Jesus, who has been a forgiving, tolerant, magnanimous adored artiste. Else, how not even once Messi retaliated on field for heinous fouls on him? While Maradona could utter that “fans come to watch me. I am the laws of the game”, Messi never boasted to be a God. Rather he has been our next door boy who made the ball to do the trick in the most humble manner. While Maradona has been a tragic hero like Oedipus, Messi has always been a Hamlet. Messi is very different from Maradona in every sense of attitude. Both being Masters of the Game.
From 2021, Messi realized that Maradona played 91 matches for Argentina. Messi ended up with 172 matches at the end of the ’22 Cup final, scoring 98 goals which is also more than Diego. Yet, Messi was not in the hearts of vast fan base for the simple reason that Argentina failed to win any major for a long long period. 2021 Copa win was Argentina’s first major after Olympics victory. That was the day, when Messi brought the Copa beating the Brazilians in their own citadel, the foundation of the wall trembled. All acknowledged, Messi also could do it. He had not appeared to remain just like a footballer manikin but he was God sent to surpass his predecessor. Not only in effectiveness, but also in terms of adulation in millions of heart. Ultimately Messi could do it. 7 goals with 5 assists in this ‘22 World Cup. Fans witnessed how Messi could convert a 30 yard scorcher to beat a goalkeeper of the status of Ochoa, of Mexico. All watched in awe, how Messi dragged the whole team from the brink of disaster, match by match. All hearts almost stopped when Messi hoodwinked a defender like van Dijk of Netherlands, the tallest of them all, and chipped in to Molina. All watched with utter disbelief, how in the midst of jungle of feet in the opposing penalty arena, Messi could score with acute precision. And tension mounted when Messi had a dream run taking the menacing Croatian defender Joško Gvardiol on his shoulder for a 30 yard run and then just served Alvarez on a platter to score.
It has been a fact that Messi, in 2014, got crushed under German tank and looked helplessly at the Cup in mere silence, and failed to convince his own countrymen that he is the next Messiah after Diego. Now the same Messi happily lifts that Cup atop proving that Messi is not a Maradona 2, He is Messi no 1. Let all take their Hats off and stand in unison to acknowledge the GOAT.
Yours truly was fortunate to have seen Messi in flesh and blood at the Salt Lake Stadium a few years back in a friendly against Venezuela.
Featured Image : Courtesy TOI
