MUMBAI: "My last opportunity to make my dream," Lionel Messi said, quickly replacing a word, "our dream a reality." That dream is a FIFA World Cup title that has eluded one of the greatest footballers to have ever put foot to ball. And Messi takes his fifth, and likely the last, shot at glory for him and his country in Qatar starting on Tuesday as Argentina take on Saudi Arabia in their Group C opener.
After years of near-misses and heartbreaks, this might well be the World Cup that defines the legacy of Messi, 35.
Visuals of a distraught Messi may still be fresh from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany in the final. He briefly chose to walk into retirement from international football, only to come back for the 2018 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out by France in the Round of 16, with Messi failing to inspire the troops and scoring all of one goal throughout the campaign.
This story is from the November 22, 2022 edition of Hindustan Times.
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This story is from the November 22, 2022 edition of Hindustan Times.
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