Copa America Centenario Is Lionel Messi's Last Great Chance of Argentina Glory
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Time is running out for Lionel Messi. Although the Barcelona and Argentina star is just 28, the Copa America Centenario represents the last great chance he has to win a trophy with his country.
Messi was just six years old the last time Argentina won a major tournament, as Gabriel Batistuta fired his country to a 2-1 win over Mexico in the 1993 Copa America final.
Watching on in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, 23 years ago, Messi was just a student of the beautiful game. Now he is its greatest exponent.
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Despite being the greatest football player of all time, though, his detractors still snarl that his lack of success on the international stage means he is not deserving of that accolade.
While failure to win a World Cup or Copa America should not taint his personal legend, the frequency with which that argument is spouted wears and tears at him. The pressure he feels playing for his country is clear.
Usually a calm, reserved character, when questioned about it, Messi's behaviour changes. It is one of the rare occasions where you can catch a glimpse of the stitches that keep the maestro together, whereas usually he's moving too fast towards new records, new accomplishments and new feats of magic on the pitch to notice anything but a whirlwind.
In December 2015, TyC Sports asked Messi about the criticism he and Argentina have received in recent years, despite making it to the World Cup and Copa America finals in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
The Albiceleste lost on both occasions, 1-0 against Germany in Rio de Janeiro after extra time and on penalties against hosts Chile at last year's Copa final in Santiago.
Messi was angry at the lack of respect he and his team-mates have been offered by his countrymen, and he hit out (h/t the Mirror):
"It was bad. We got to the final of the World Cup and the Copa America and it was as if we didn't do anything.
We are still hearing these criticisms, people killing us. Piss off, we got to the World Cup final and the Copa. We didn't win them but we didn't lose in the quarter finals.
Sometimes you don't know if that would be better or worse!
I hear them say that we don't care about the shirt, that we don't put our all into it. It's not about not giving your all.
We're the first ones that want to win and celebrate.
"
Messi turns 31 in June 2018, during the World Cup in Russia. While there are few doubts he will still be a wonderful player at that point, likely still the best in the world given the intelligence and poise he shows in his game, that will be a far more complicated tournament for Argentina to win than this.
Coach Gerardo Martino picked a strong squad for the Copa America Centenario, showing he too feels this is a good opportunity for his country to end their international drought.
And in a quirk of fate, their opening group game is a repeat of last year's final and a perfect chance for Argentina to gain a revenge of sorts.
Messi would doubtless love to play, but the buildup to the game has been dominated by negative news stories about him.
First, that is due to his injury, picked up against Honduras in a warm-up friendly when he took a knee in the lumbar area of his back. It has made him a doubt for the clash at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
Martino said in his press conference before the game that Messi would play if both the doctor and the player think he is fit and capable of doing so.
"If the player feels well, he will play," said the coach. "You have to listen to Messi; he's not just any footballer. And the doctor too, for the risk there may be. Mine is just another opinion, but I will have the final say."
Some believe that even if Messi is wounded, he should be on the field—that's the impact he has. That's a tactic previously used with Batistuta, whom the Barca star is closing in on as his country's top goalscorer.
The former striker has 56, while Messi has 50. If fitness allows, he could even catch the Argentinian great by the end of this tournament.
Everton's Ramiro Funes Mori is one of those who would start Messi under any circumstance. He said in a press conference before the game, per ESPN FC:
"If I was the coach I would put in Messi even if he could not run or was on one leg.
He is such an important player and you need to know how to manage him. He is the best in the world, and I would always pick him. With Lionel things are different. We know how important he is on the pitch -- he can dribble past three or four players, break their marking. We all know how he is.
"
The likelihood is that Messi will not play if injured, because it would be foolish to risk his participation in the rest of the tournament just for a good start against Chile, however inviting the clash may be.
With games against Bolivia and Panama to follow, Argentina are surely set to make it out of the group, regardless of what happens in Santa Clara on Monday night.
The other negative buzz has come from his tax fraud trial. Spanish government prosecutor Mario Maza slammed Messi in court, with ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan reporting him as saying: "Even 10-year-old children understand [you have to pay your taxes] and Messi would have to be able to understand that without any problem. In no way am I comparing this kid to a mafioso, but this is the same as a 'capo' of a criminal network."
Messi had to fly to the United States to face Honduras in that friendly before flying back to Barcelona for the trial and then back to America to link up with his national side, all while nursing his back injury.
This brings both his mental and physical state into question before the game, and it may be for the best that he sits it out and returns invigorated for the rest of the competition.
Whether Argentina face Chile with or without Messi, the expectations will be that they win. With Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria, the Albiceleste boast an attacking force that makes every other side in the tournament jealous.
Beating Chile would give them a great chance to top the group and avoid the strongest Group C opponent in the quarter-finals.
Nicolas Gaitan is likely to replace Messi in the starting lineup, and Martino did not want to put pressure on the Benfica playmaker's shoulders.
The coach said: "I don't expect Gaitan to play like Leo does, but to play like Nico does. I want him to be himself more than ever. He sprints really fast, he dribbles very well, he's a complete player. He would replace Leo in name only."
Chile are still finding their feet under new coach Juan Antonio Pizzi, and this is a fine opportunity for Argentina to strike an early blow in Group D and announce themselves as the favourites to the rest of the tournament.
A real positive for Argentina coming into the tournament is the form of Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain.
The forward scored 36 goals in Serie A this season and is set to lead the line for his country. He also scored a wonderful goal in the 1-0 win over Honduras.
But there is a shadow over Higuain when it comes to Argentina. Some pin the blame for Messi's lack of international success on this man.
He missed a fine chance against Germany in the World Cup final and then another in the Copa final after the Argentina No. 10 had put in Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Then to cap it all, Higuain was the first player to miss from the penalty spot in the shootout, blazing his effort into the Santiago night sky.
Two finals, three massive failures on Higuain's part. This year surely things will be different, given how lethal he has been for his club. Third time lucky?
Argentina certainly hope so, and Messi's legend may depend on it, however wrong that may seem.
Quotes taken firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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