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Messi
Pele's demise just two days before the world prepared to welcome the new year and Lionel Messi-led Argentina lifting the World Cup trophy were undoubtedly the two epochal moments, which will be remembered for decades to come even as Indian football made more noise for its administrative mess than the on-field achievements in 2022. If Messi worked his magic to guide Argentina to its third World Cup triumph on December 18, Pele's legion of fans kept praying as he battled cancer in a Sao Paulo hospital before he departed the world on December 29. Fans in India shed tears of joy when Messi lifted the World Cup trophy, and cried inconsolably when Pele left, given their connect with the 'Beautiful Game'. However, on the home front, things are far from hunky-dory even though global football icons are revered here and millions in the country tune in when the World Cup, Euros or the UEFA Champions League are beamed on the television screens. The year saw Indian football go into a downward .
As Lionel Messi approaches his second and likely last World Cup final, the stakes could hardly be higher. The same goes for Argentina after more than 30 years of disappointment since it last won soccer's ultimate prize. For Messi, victory against France at Lusail Stadium on Sunday is a chance to finally get his hands on the one major trophy that has eluded him in his storied career. In doing so, he would push ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has also never won a World Cup, in the long-running rivalry between the two greatest players of their generation. While 37-year-old Ronaldo exited the tournament at the quarterfinals stage, benched by Portugal and in tears in the likely recognition that his last chance had passed, Messi is summoning some of his finest moments in an Argentina shirt to inspire his country's run to the final. "Each time we see him play, he makes us and the players feel something special," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. "There's something about him that peop
Lionel Messi came up with another crucial goal for Argentina in a 2-0 win over Mexico on Sunday that ignited the team's World Cup chances. Messi took a touch from Angel Di Maria's pass across the face of the area and drove a low shot from 25 metres into the bottom corner in the 64th minute. He ran towards Argentina's fans with his arms outstretched before getting mobbed by his jubilant teammates. He looked emotional as he grabbed and shook his jersey, then blew a kiss to the crowd. Substitute Enzo Fernandez added a second goal in the 87th minute. Argentina bounced back from a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in its opening match. The team is in second place in Group C ahead of its last match against Poland on Wednesday. The 35-year-old Messi is likely playing in his last World Cup, which is the only major title missing from his collection.