Here we are again. One year later, Copa America 2016 ends with two defining images – that of a jubilant Chile lifting the cup and a dejected Lionel Messi feeling like the world is against him as he endures another loss in the final.
The Copa America is the biggest stage for South American football and there is always extra pressure on the likes of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia etc. to come out all guns blazing. Sure, there have been plenty of fireworks right from the start for the Argentinians but to falter once again at the final hurdle just begs the question: is Lionel Messi a choker in international football?
The magician announced his retirement from International football – a decision a lot of people suspect was taken in the heat of the moment. Will he do a Zidane and come back one last time? Or is this the final time we see him don the Argentinian jersey and armband?
Saving his worst for the last:
Make no qualms about it; the fact that Leo Messi is in your team increases your chances of winning greatly. Time and time and time again he has shown his flair and ability to take matches by the scruff of its neck and win them. But how often has one seen him do that for Argentina? As fans, we are so used to his exploits in the Blaugrana that we always have the same high expectations from him on the international stage.
It is not like he has not delivered at all. Messi has scored goals for Argentina in tourneys, but they have mostly been in matches that they would have won without him anyway. In a star-studded squad like Argentina, Messi is the crown jewel who adds that extra bit of sheen to take (or make them look like) next level stuff.
The man has however diminished when it comes to the final frontier. In four finals (Copa America 2007, 2015, 2016 and the 2014 World Cup), he has failed to make a telling mark on the final game. He has otherwise shown his class when it comes to knockouts, but finals have seen him play a peripheral role almost always.
Sure, he cannot take all the blame, but the greatest of all times leave their mark when it matters the most – Pele in the 1962 and 1970 World Cups, Maradona in 1986 and Zidane in 1998 come to mind. It is harsh to say Messi has not tried, but he has not delivered and history will remember him as the unluckiest legend on the biggest stage.
Let down by teammates
Football is a team sport that is brightened up by individual performances. To let Messi shoulder the entire blame would be a foolhardy endeavour, especially considering the absolute glut of riches that Argentina have as a squad.
Going forward, they have some of the best attacking talent this generation of football has ever seen, with the likes of Aguero, Higuain, Di Maria and Lavezzi all having the ability to change the game in an instant. But for some reason, they are just not able to click when it comes to the final challenge.
Higuain has been blamed for missing good chances in finals and he missed yet another great chance yesterday, making it an unwanted hat-trick for him after the chances he missed in the finals of the 2014 World Cup Final and 2015 Copa America Final.
As mentioned before, history is written by the winners and not by those who finish second best. Argentinian generations ahead of now will never really know how good a team this current one was owing to their finals failures.
Messi has announced his retirement from International football, much to the chagrin of many who still believe he has a lot to offer. If the decision is concrete, then he would have retired with only one trophy – the Olympic Gold in 2008 for Argentina – but otherwise nothing major for them to cheer about.
For a team that can instill fear into the hearts of their opponents, Argentina are officially the unluckiest also-rans in the history of the sport, easily comparable with the Dutch team of the ‘70s captained by another Barcelona legend – Johan Cruyff.
However good a tournament or tournaments Messi has had, he has failed to deliver in four finals now. Condemning him for that is unnecessary but it is also unforgivable by those who watch the game closely with an eye to nitpick errors. His legacy with the national squad will be reflected by his Argentinian all-time top scorer title, but he would gladly swap that for a title for the National Team in the blink of an eye.
With that performance and that post-match speech, for all his talent and ability, Lionel Messi will sadly be regarded as one of the greatest chokers in international football.
