Lionel Messi: can he make Argentina champion in Qatar or is it an exaggeration to ask him?

What is the height that Messi can reach with the “Scaloneta”? Or better: how far can you take Messi to Argentina in Qatar? Otherwise: can the Albicelestes trust that they have, after more than 3 decades, a real chance to be world champions?

The weights vary for each question. In the first, the role of the coach and his ability to put together a team so that the star shines are pondered; in the second, the crack has the role of amalgamating, from the leadership, which will be the champion team; while in the third it is assumed that the shirt solves more issues than it calls into question. An answer, however, can serve for all 3. For Argentina to have a chance in Qatar, everything has to work perfectly: the 10 in front of goal and the strategy from the bench, but also the cabal, the weather, the lawn, VAR and destiny.

Unlike France or Brazil, the two teams with an overabundance of selectables, Argentina has a relatively short squad. The first line is serious, but discreet. On the right Molina or Montiel are not top wingers, while Tagliafico has no replacement among the lefties. Otamendi is a center back by trade, but not world class; Lisandro Martínez yes, but with very specific game characteristics that are not necessarily those that Scaloni favors (but Ten Hag does); while Romero suffers a calf injury that will barely leave him fit. Dibu Martínez is the best goalkeeper Argentina has had in 20 years, maybe 30, and that’s a relief.

Added to this is a virtue: Messi’s new role. Scaloni has achieved the difficult balance of understanding his protagonism and forcing him into leadership (just look at his recently viralized emotional talk), while creating a structure that supports him. The key to that operation is how much De Paul and Lo Celso (for now injured) can do in mixed functions while someone like Rodríguez or Paredes does the containment work. From then on everything is happiness. Di Maria accompanies the offensive deployment, who continues to be the first option as a winger, along with Papu Gómez or Correa. Between Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez and Paulo Dybala the leading companion will come out when they decide to attack with 3.

This team has gone 35 games undefeated, which is a record. And to that overperformance is added a strong sentimental charge: it is Messi’s last World Cup and therefore it is the final opportunity he will have to put his name on the only list of champions that he lacks. To rule out that this matters is ridiculous, the difficult thing is to specify how much he weighs and where he will opt: towards the side of motivation or the side of pressure. His performance at PSG, superlative in this first part of the season, as well as the interviews he has given, glimpse that form of maturity in which the hero seems to have understood his mission, also his place in the history. Few things will be more important in Qatar than knowing if Messi will lift a World Cup or not.

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