It would have been unfair of all injustice that Argentine National Team He leaves the World Cup in Qatar after the match he played against the Netherlands until 38 minutes into the second half and throughout the second overtime. He came to the semifinal on Tuesday against Croatia suffering, perhaps too much, but he arrived. And with the classification, a large part of the objective set out four long years ago has been fulfilled, when the president of the AFA, Claudio Tapia, appointed Lionel Scaloni in a hurry to head the technical direction, after the catastrophe in Russia 2018.
Whatever the result of the great match against the Croats, the National Team will be among the top four. And he will be able to affirm that he has played a great World Cup. Of course, the biggest dream is to lift the World Cup in eight days in the grand final. And that successful as we are, there will be a bitter aftertaste on the palates of 47 million Argentines if that does not happen. But No one will be able to point the index finger at anyone or raise their tone of voice too high if, due to those things that football has, all this effort is not crowned with the title in the final next Sunday the 18th.
Messi is excited from now on, his football and his immense commitment. And the dedication and winning conviction of the rest of the players, even in the worst moments of confusion. Against the Netherlands as in previous matches, the National Team played to tie even stronger the affective bond that united it with the fans since that Copa América that was won against Brazil in Brazil in 2021. “We will never let them down“Messi told those same fans after the initial skid against the Arabs. And the team honored to the last drop of sweat the word that their captain pledged.
The mission of playing all seven World Cup matches and being in the top four has already been accomplished. It was not the same to win than to be eliminated against the Dutch. And that is why the anguishing victory is celebrated so much. But the big goal is still missing: winning the third World Cup. And that is where the Selection continues to point. Without leaving behind all the good things he has done up to here.