"Argentina champion, Lionel Messi champion," flashed on every television channel when La Albiceleste beat Brazil 1-0 to lift the Copa America title at Rio de Janeiro in July 2021. The artistic statue of Christ, the redeemer, perhaps, cast a magic spell that led to the heroics.
Angel Di Maria appeared on the scoresheet under Messi's leadership.
The players were all smiles as they threw Messi in the air. The superstar and his good old friend, Di Maria, shed a tear of joy as they won a major tournament in the Argentina jersey together — the country's first in 28 years since the 1993 Copa triumph over Mexico.
The duo have been chasing the World Cup since 2010, but it remained elusive. The 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup, starting on Sunday in Qatar, could be the last dance of the Messi-Di Maria duo as they aim to end on a high and raise a toast to their beautiful friendship. Unbeaten for 35 games leading to the Cup, Argentina is a favourite for the title, and Messi and Di Maria's long pending wish could hold them tighter than ever before in their last World Cup.
Copa glory and change of mindset
The Copa America triumph transformed the mindset of the Argentine footballers. They believe they are one of the best and have the firepower to crush European supremacy at the World Cup since Italy's 2006 victory. Earlier, it was expectations versus belief, and the performances lacked steam in high-pressure situations. There were mediocre returns from major international tournaments despite the players being giants at their respective clubs.
Former players such as Mario Kempes and Diego Maradona, both World Cup winners in 1978 and 1986, set a winning template that the future generation lost. Argentina reached the final twice in 24 years, in 1990 and 2014, where it ended up as runners-up.
Messi and Di Maria endured the heartbreak of 2014, but the friendship strengthened over time as they stood by each other while swimming in rough waters. The media ensnared Messi into the Maradona comparison clan. It did not help his career; the left-foot magic seemed a Barcelona exclusive.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or award winner was unlucky in 2014. On the other hand, Di Maria's muscle injury forced him out of action after the quarter-final victory over Belgium. He still regrets not being able to play the final against Germany.
Electric chemistry
Former Manchester United winger Di Maria has played with Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney and Kylian Mbappe but feels Messi is the greatest of all. The brief stint at Paris-Saint Germain before Di Maria moved to Juventus added colour to their chemistry. There were hours together at the training sessions, and coffee tables where both would enjoy a cup of Mate — a South American caffeine drink. "Messi is from another planet. You throw a stone at him, and he will control it, he beats a man like it is nothing, and he thinks quicker than anyone," Di Maria was quoted as saying to Argentinian TV channel TyC sports.
Di Maria always wanted to play in the same team with Messi though circumstances took him to Juventus in the next season. The camaraderie is intact as the duo tweaked Argentina's attacking ploy. They would unleash Messi to keep the midfielders and defenders busy and will try to score on the counter. That's how Di Maria scored his solitary goal at the Copa finals last year.
Set for glory
Messi will be appearing in his fifth World Cup, while it will be Di Maria's fourth. Their sharp tactics helped Argentina beat UAE 5-0 in a friendly match in Abu Dhabi recently. Both combined to manufacture a goal for Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez in the 17th minute. Di Maria doubled the lead by scoring on the volley before dribbling past the defenders for his second goal. Messi's goal, a fine shot in the corner at the stroke of half-time, was supplied by Di Maria. The duo's awareness and skills led to four goals in the first-half itself which throws light into their preparations for the tournament.
Like there was Rivaldo for Ronaldo, there will always be Di Maria for Messi. "For me, being by Leo's side is everything. He's the best in the world, an alien, and I won't get tired of saying it," he told Argentinian newspaper La Nacion.
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