We went to see Messi and we ended up applauding the Arab 10, Salem Al Dawsari | CHRONICLE

The problem is that he does know it and in that anguish the limit is atrocious. Before the game against Saudi Arabia starts, he had more power than the President. They wouldn’t let him take another free kick today.

The news will be of the same magnitude as the expectations: Lionel Messi’s Argentina lost its debut game in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. And the most serious thing is not that it was due to a referee’s error, a poorly controlled rebound or a few centimeters detected by the VAR. He lost due to the remarkable integrity of a rival who scored a magnificent goal from Salem Al Dawsari, who also feints and faces, who also wears the number 10. In other words, what Messi had to do.

The match

Argentina threw its two World Cups, its galaxy squad and three stadium stands at him, in a first sign of authority from Saudi Arabia resisted with what it has: speed in its wingers and remarkable physique. He let De Paul control -but not shoot- and Messi navigate freely -but without too much contact with the ball-. It was supposed that after the 1-0 penalty, Scaloni’s team was going to liquidate him, but here a no less detail arose when it comes to facing a World Cup debut: Arabia could lose 20-0, nobody would have cared. Their fans transformed what seemed like an overwhelming locality of the albicelestes, into a party of applause and throat. And best of all, his team on the court responded as if they were not going to be played for points or it was the debut of a World Cup. That is called freedom.

Stripped of that burden, they advanced little by little, as if gaining ground from the sea. First it was at 1-1, a left-footed shot that woke ‘Dibu’ Martínez from a yawn. Then the vitamin effect reached his entire spine: Mohammed Alowais covered as Benji, Mohamed Kanno -the best on the field- administered the medium as if he had bought it for his children and on 10 Salem, a puma, a friend of Andrë Carrillo’s gave the world a great goal born in the despised Arab soccer league. There are those who believe that they train with camels there. Desert sand is foot therapy.

Then Lionel Messi kicked a free kick like he was a rugby player. And there were only changes that did not produce effects -Julián Álvarez- or incomprehensible hands on the waist when the match still had plenty of life.

Calm down, Argentina. They have two games left after this world bump, as Juan Pablo Varsky has defined defeat.

In Italia 90 they lost in their debut against the anonymous Cameroon team, with a goal from Oman Biyik. A month later, he played the final. The best left ankle in history had the same swelling that Messi’s has today. The only way to play the 7 games was enduring the pain.

His anthem says: “Let us swear with glory to die. Let us swear with glory to die.”