The Last Dance
Yesterday Argentina played against Venezuela and won 3-0, and it seems this would be Messi’s last match in Argentina, with proposed retirement after the World Cup 2026. He also added that “we’ll see” about his 2026 World Cup appearance, and there it is, the end of an era of football. I think he may play the 2026 World Cup too, but that will be it. I find myself lucky to have witnessed not just a generational talent but the personification of football itself.
There have been greats before him like Maradona, Pelé, Cruyff, Ronaldinho, Zidane, and there will be stars after him, like Mbappé, Yamal, etc. , but Messi was in a league of his own. He wasn’t just a player; he was football distilled into its purest, most beautiful form.
He has given us moments that will never be forgotten. Who can forget the 5-0 demolition of Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, when he danced past Sergio Ramos, Pepe, and the rest with a blend of elegance and ruthlessness that made even Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema seem like spectators? Or his masterpiece at Rome, when a young Messi tore Ferguson’s United apart in the Champions League, leaving defenders flailing and fans gasping, announcing to the world that a new era had arrived.
Messi didn’t just win matches; he created moments that redefined how football is played, moments that will echo through history alongside Maradona’s “Goal of the Century” or Cruyff’s impossible dribbles.
What made Messi extraordinary was not just his technical brilliance, but his consistency across eras and competitions. While Cristiano chases physical perfection, and Mbappé dazzles with sheer speed, Messi combined vision, balance, and intelligence in a way that seemed almost unfair. He could thread a pass that only he could see, glide past defenders with the faintest touch, and score goals that no one else could imagine.
He made the impossible routine, the miraculous inevitable. Watching Messi was like watching history unfold in real time, as if each game carried the weight of the legends who came before him, yet he played as if inventing the future.
And in today’s world, Messi and Ronaldo stand as the most popular figures on the planet, transcending football itself. Millions follow them not just for their skills, but for the way they carry themselves, inspire generations, and dominate the global imagination. Messi bridged generations, uniting fans of Maradona with young supporters following Vinícius Jr., Haaland, and De Jong. He didn’t just compete with the best; he elevated everyone around him, making the game more beautiful simply by being a part of it.
Messi’s era may be drawing to a close, but his influence will never fade. He will remain the standard against which generations of players are measured, the symbol of football at its purest, most poetic form. To have witnessed him dribble past defenders, score impossible goals, and carry nations on his shoulders is a gift that words cannot fully capture. Messi was not just a player; he was football itself, a timeless legend whose magic will live forever.
