Messi's disappointments with Argentina - Capital Sports
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Headlines

Messi’s disappointments with Argentina

Another day to forget: Lionel Messi’s last chance to win a World Cup may have gone © AFP / Roman Kruchinin

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russian Federation, Jun 30Five-time world player of the year Lionel Messi suffered more World Cup heartbreak with Argentina on Saturday, unable to match France’s firepower in a thrilling 4-3 World Cup last-16 tie.

Messi only scored once in Russia and is still yet to net in the knockout stages of a World Cup.

Widely considered one of the greatest players ever, the Barcelona star is still looked upon unfavourably by many in his homeland compared with Diego Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986.

Messi turned 31 last week and his best chance of ending Argentina’s 25-year wait to win a major tournament may now be gone.

Here, AFP Sport looks at Messi’s biggest disappointments with Argentina.

World Cup 2018

Messi’s World Cup got off to the worst possible start when he missed a penalty in Argentina’s opening game, which ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw with tournament debutants Iceland.

He was then largely bypassed in a 3-0 thrashing by Croatia that put Argentina on the brink of an embarrassing group-stage exit.

Messi did ride to their rescue with a superb opening goal to help squeeze past Nigeria 2-1 to set up the meeting with France.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

But despite setting up two of his side’s three goals, Messi could only watch from afar as 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe exposed Argentina’s fragile defence by scoring twice and winning a penalty in a seven-goal thriller in Kazan to announce himself as a potential successor to Messi as a global superstar.

Copa America Centenario 2016

Not prone to showing his emotions, Messi sobbed uncontrollably after blasting his penalty over the bar as Argentina lost a second Copa America final in as many years in a shootout to Chile.

In the aftermath, with emotions running high, Messi announced his retirement from international football on the back of three final defeats in three consecutive years.

“I’ve done all I can. It hurts not to be a champion,” Messi said at the time.

What might have been: Lionel Messi reacts to losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany © AFP/File / ODD ANDERSEN

Less than two months later he reversed that decision. “We need to fix many things in Argentinian football, but I prefer to do this from inside and not criticise from outside,” he said.

Messi almost single-handedly carried Argentina through a troubled qualifying campaign, but that ultimately only delayed another bitter disappointment.

World Cup 2014

The first of those three final defeats came on the biggest stage of all and by the finest of margins in Brazil four years ago.

Messi scored four goals and converted his spot-kick in a semi-final shootout against the Netherlands to lead Argentina to a first World Cup final in 24 years.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

However, at the end of a rare injury-plagued season at Barcelona, he was limited to short bursts of energy to try and change games and ultimately ran out of steam in a 1-0 extra-time defeat by Germany.

Messi had one great chance that he would normally bury on his left foot that slipped just wide, but even winning the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament did little to dim the pain of getting so close to the holy grail of following in Maradona’s footsteps.

World Cup 2010

Fresh from being crowned as the world’s best player for the first time, Messi arrived in South Africa as the star attraction of a top-heavy Argentina under Maradona’s management.

Diego Maradona consoles Lionel Messi after Argentina lost 4-0 to Germany in the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals © AFP/File / JAVIER SORIANO

Early on, the Albiceleste’s sheer firepower proved too much as they eased past Nigeria, South Korea and Greece in the group stage before beating Mexico 3-1 in the last 16.

Messi failed to get on the scoresheet, but was still pulling the strings for Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero.

Yet, Maradona’s lack of tactical nous was finally exposed as a young Germany side that would reach its peak four years later ran riot 4-0 in the quarter-finals in Cape Town.

Advertisement

More on Capital Sports

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27 – DStv and GOtv subscribers are in for a treat of the world’s best football this week as the 2020-21...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 25 – There is light at the end of the tunnel. After failed promises over the last three years since its...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – Gentrix Shikangwa scored with two minutes left as Vihiga Queens sailed to the final of the CECAFA regional qualifiers...

NFL

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 13 – Kenya’s history making Daniel Adongo, the first Kenyan to play in America’s National Football League (NFL), is now living...

© 2024 Capital Digital Media. Capital Group Limited. All Rights Reserved