After watching Lionel Messi hoist the long waited world cup trophy, an instant realization hit me. I came to the conclusion that one of the most important factors that contributed in creating a team that could finally stop the constant losing of big games and championships by Messi’s Argentina is the fact that this particular version of the national team has, almost, no big names! Yes, that’s right. It is what you just read! “How?” you might ask. It is actually quite simple. Let me explain.
If you look at the Argentinean team lineup for World Cup 2022, you will hardly find any worldwide well known superstars. Other than Di Maria (who has always been with the team), and Dybala (who spent the entire tournament on the bench), and maybe a couple more names, you will have a hard time locating any star power. I will take it further and claim that if I surprised you with a pop quiz right now (even after the dramatic ending of the world cup), and asked you to name the full squad, or showed their faces and asked you to name them, you might miss most, if not all, of the remaining players! This, right here, is exactly where the magic happens. Building your team from players who are, from a football perspective, insignificant, results in several things. I can summarize the most important one with a single word: “SELFLESSNESS“. Yes. The selflessness this team displays is unmatched. This means that your team is focusing on one thing, and one thing only: helping Messi achieve his goals. That’s it! Nothing else! Nothing else at all! This helped build an army-like environment in the Argentinean camp. Their locker room looked like a military operations room more than a football one, as they thought and acted more like soldiers than sportsmen, and their discipline and dedication were unprecedented.
Go back and read what De Paul or Martinez, among others, said, and watch how they talk about Messi. Watch how passionate they are about their mission when it comes to supporting and defending him, as if he is a God-sent messenger or a holy saint. You will realize that these people have one common goal in this life: to bring victory to our leader. These warriors have repeatedly said that they are willing to die for Messi, and in this case, I truly believe them, and have no doubt that they mean it, literally and figuratively! Let me wear their shoes for a second. I am now an Argentinean player/warrior. It does not matter how much I will sacrifice to get to my goal. I will not care about my name, reputation, feet, teeth, health, the way I look on TV, my hairstyle, or the new tattoo I want, so badly, to show off to the world. I will not be distracted by my political or intellectual views, nor by my desire to attract enormous job offers from giant clubs. I will postpone thinking about my family, my personal feud with this guy or that guy, the drama that happens among players themselves or with the coaching or management staff. Do you see all the heavy burdens that, most of the time, come along with mega superstars? Big egos, difficult personalities, thirst for attention, selfishness, jealousy, exaggerated caution, fear, or the crippling overthinking before each play, interception, or taking any risk. You see all of these, and many more? This particular team did an excellent job getting rid of them, whether on purpose or not, ahead of their vicious battles.
Go back and watch the latest few years’ Copa America, and watch how the Argentinean team, with its highly skilled football superstars, was a victim of straight up bullying by the other teams in the continent. Watch how all sorts of physical intimidation, and even violence in some cases, were imposed upon them! They were getting hit over and under the belt! Do you know what their only response was? Rolling on the floor and praying that this pain is not an indication of any permanent damage! That is it! Now, fast forward and compare that to the 2021 team. You will notice one big difference: they turned into a bunch of bullies, who will take the war to you before you even think about it, and yes, I am including you too in this, Messi! Look how their player would perform unhinged, extremely risky slides, and ruthless interceptions, then innocently jogs away like nothing happened, while the opponent player does not even know what hit him! Check out the antics and mind games that Martinez, the goal keeper, played against opposing team players. Whoever does that, trust me, could not care less about what journalist X will have to write about him tomorrow in his article, or what scout Y will say about him in his report, not until the end of this all-or-nothing world cup run at least. Personally, I used to feel sorry for them. Now, I feel sorry for their opponent! An obvious disclaimer needs to be mentioned here though: I am in no way condoning violence or trying to hurt others on purpose. It is completely wrong and should be punished. However, I am all for standing up for yourself, and for the ones you love and care about. I am sure these players do not try to harm anyone purposefully. They are just trying to do whatever they think will give them the upper hand.
After winning Copa America, Albiceleste carried the same energy over to the world cup. You can, for instance, see this clearly in their game against the physically superior team, The Netherlands. Argentina showed their no-backing-down mentality, and did not give in to their opponents attempts to push them around. They eventually had to go to penalty shootouts twice in this tournament, that is true, but the important thing is that they went toe-to-toe with everyone, no matter who is on the opposite side. They did not surrender an inch, and fought bravely defending their flag without any hesitation. This does not only allow you to keep your composure and focus on the game under control, but it also gives you the ability to apply what the coaches have drawn for you as a team, and not be forced out of positions and tactics due to non-technical factors.
“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion” – Alexander The Great. If we put aside the glamor, finesse, and eye-pleasing technical skills, and focus on fighting spirit, physical toughness, and willingness to sacrifice, then we, without a shadow of a doubt, are witnessing an army of lions led by a lion!