KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lionel Scaloni tends to be pensive about a lot of things, but especially when the subject turns to another Lionel — a much more famous one, arguably the most famous athlete in the world, and one the Argentina coach gets to see on a daily basis.
You see, Scaloni has watched Lionel Messi for much of his life. Both hail from the Argentine province of Santa Fe, Scaloni from the small town of Pujato and Messi from the much larger Rosario. Both of their paths passed through Newell’s Old Boys, the historic club that has produced the likes of Maxi Rodriguez, Gabriel Batistuta and the current U.S. coach, Mauricio Pochettino.
So when Scaloni speaks about Messi’s legacy, it bears listening.
“Not only the Argentinian population but everybody — the whole planet — wants to see him play,” Scaloni explained. “Everybody wants to see him on the pitch, because he has an effect not only on Argentina fans but supporters all over the world.”
Those supporters will likely get their last chance to see Messi wearing his light blue striped shirt at the World Cup beginning Tuesday night, when the defending champions open their tournament against Algeria at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.
Messi had been dealing with a minor hamstring issue in the lead-up to the World Cup, but he’s looked comfortable in the rare chances reporters have witnessed training. And in last week’s final tuneup against Iceland at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, he came into the game as a second-half substitute, scored moments later on a penalty kick and played 20 minutes without any problems.
So barring an unforeseen event, Messi — who has yet to speak publicly since the national team congregated for the World Cup about two weeks ago — will earn his 200th cap during its match against Les Fennecs.
“There’s nothing negative to say,” Scaloni said. “He’s always been there, and he’s essential for us. He’s going to remain that way.”
Tapash Chakraborty, the 57-year-old owner of an engineering design company, posted up Monday inside a Kansas City bar, hoping to catch a glimpse of an Argentina player at a meet-and-greet held roughly 24 hours before the match.
He had one in particular he wanted to see.
“Messi is Messi,” said Chakraborty, who will be in the stands Tuesday. “He is the god of football.”
He wasn’t alone, either. The room teemed with Messi shirts, just as the streets have in the early days of the World Cup. His famous No. 10 is ubiquitous, whether it be on his old Barcelona jersey, his current Inter Miami kit or that of the national team.
“We’re all Messi fans. He’s the best player in the world,” said Michelle Lemmon, who made the 160-mile (257.50-kilometer) drive with her four children from her home in Kirksville, Missouri, to Union Station in Kansas City on Monday to celebrate her 42nd birthday.
Lemmon, who played college soccer at a Catholic school after captaining the boys’ team at her high school, will be cheering for the U.S. throughout the tournament. But her dream matchup, Lemmon said, would be for the Americans to face Argentina in the final.
“It’s hard. You’ve got to like him,” Lemmon said. “I’m nervous that this might be his last World Cup, so we’re very excited. Honored that they chose Kansas City as their home base. To have the World Cup champions here, you know, from 2022 is amazing.”
The list of greatest soccer players in history often begins with Messi and ends with Pele, the Brazilian star who not only took Brazil to World Cup glory but was instrumental in growing the game in the U.S. during his time with the New York Cosmos.
What would tie the two even tighter? Argentina successfully defending its title.
Only twice before has a nation been a repeat winner of the World Cup. Italy did it in the 1930s and Brazil did it in 1962, when despite an injury to Pele in the group stage, the Canarinho went on to beat Czechoslovakia in the final in Chile.
France nearly made it three repeat winners, but Argentina denied that four years ago in a shootout in Qatar.
“What happened back in Qatar was just amazing. The whole country united,” recalled Messi’s longtime national teammate, Nicolas Otamendi. “We have that engraved in our minds, and it’s just injected us with the strength to keep trying. There’s no relaxing. We need to keep working with that level of humility that is required in these types of competitions.”
There are few more humble superstars than Messi, whom Otamendi described as “simple man that just focuses on training.”
“He’s also a competitive animal,” Otamendi said. “You want to be there with him, supporting him, serving him, and laughing our hearts out all the time. As I’ve said, when the ball is rolling, that’s when you need to press, unite and come together as a family on the pitch.”
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Associated Press writer Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this report.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
