The World Cup is over, but the aura is still alive. What Lionel Messi and Co. showed in this World Cup will certainly be part of folklore and myths.
People who witness greatness in motion will keep telling the stories to the next generations till they breathe their last.
Amidst all these glamours, vibes, emotions, ecstasy, and happiness, Lionel Messi - arguably the greatest footballer ever, has given us some precious life lessons. Although the whole of his illustrious career is full of inspiration, his World Cup triumph has left some exemplary life lessons in the best possible way.
Never give up on your dreams
Remember that heartbreaking picture of tearful Lionel Messi after losing his third consecutive tournament final? In 2016, after losing yet another Copa America final against Chillie in a tie-breaker, Messi emotionally announced his retirement from international football.
Had he not come back from that retirement, could we witness such a beautiful story he has written in this Qatar World Cup 2022? Or could he lift that coveted golden trophy and fulfil his lifelong dream?
Lionel Messi has proven a point here - never give up. He had a hand on the trophy in 2014, for which he is always ready to trade all his other lifelong achievements; yet he returned home with empty hands and couldn’t touch his precious even after reaching agonisingly close to it.
An international trophy had long been elusive to the world conqueror who returned from the final of the continental tournament Copa America in two successive years - 2015 and 2016- against the same opponent.
It requires you to be either an angel or a Lionel Messi to return to the arena after so much agony and frustration. Even after returning from retirement, all he got was a disarrayed and malfunctioning Argentina team. The team couldn’t go past the quarter-finals in 2018.
But Leo Messi held his ground, stuck there firmly, kept fighting for everything, and the result is the most poetic story the footballing god could write. If those Copa America and Finalissima triumphs were prologues, winning the World Cup is a heartwarming climax in his career.
Leo Messi proved all over again that the most beautiful things are achieved through the most excruciating suffering. All he had to do was not give in to the pressure and reiterate the words a wise man once said - Night is the darkest, just before dawn!
Complains won't earn you anything
“That Higuain miss cost Messi a World Cup.”
“Had Messi had a better team!”
“Messi can’t win World Cup with 10 pieces of wood.”
If you are a regular football fan, or you at least keep yourself updated with the latest football incidents, you must have come across these sentences, more precisely, complaints and regrets of football fans since 2014.
After Argentina lost the World Cup final to Germany by a mere 1-0 margin in extra time, Higuain was subjected to extreme criticism, anger, slang, and all sorts of social media humiliation. Every Lionel Messi fan complained about the team for not letting Messi win titles to his merit.
Lionel Messi deserves a World Cup, or he deserved that one of 2014 has also been a part of the popular gossip for a long time. Fans are often emotional about their stars, and they defy all logic to put their idol’s name on top of the list.
However, in the race of glory-hunting, there is no place for the ‘deserve’ argument; you either have to earn it or see yourself lost in time.
And Messi knew it well. He never complained about his teammates or those game-changing moments. He just kept preparing himself - for his team and his dream.
The Messi we used to know was not much resilient to pressure. We have seen him choking in big-pressure matches time and again while putting some extraordinary performances under pressure, too, here and there.
His fellow Argentine great Diego Maradona vehemently criticised his leadership ability too.
Messi heard it all and kept his head down until he looked at the sky with all the glory, greatness, and grandeur rolling at his feet. He didn’t complain about fate, that Gotze moment in 2014, that 'Higuain miss,' or about his critiques. He waited until the time was ripe to rise from the ashes like a phoenix and lead his team from the front - vigorously, like a fearless warrior.
And he left a point to ponder over sincerely: complaining only limits your capacity; you have to earn what you believe you deserve, and you can.
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