Lionel Messi v Mohamed Salah.
Footballing legends. Nationwide icons.
face in Atlanta on Tuesday (17:00 BST) for a spot within the 2026 World Cup quarter-final. Additionally it is a gathering of two of the sport’s best gamers.
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Messi, 39, and Salah, 34, are each within the autumn of their careers. Messi has already recommended this might be his final World Cup, though Salah continues to be hoping to play in 2030.
Their World Cup story could be very totally different.
Messi is a World Cup winner. He’s the event’s all-time prime scorer, look maker and is joint prime scorer this summer time.
For Salah, it has been a unique narrative. In his third World Cup for Egypt, that is his first time within the knockout rounds, along with his nation within the final 16 for the primary time.
Egypt misplaced Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2017 and 2021 throughout his profession, whereas Salah was concerned in a number of public disagreements with the Egyptian Soccer Affiliation over points together with picture rights, journey preparations and the group’s administration.
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His Panenka penalty helped his nation make historical past although with a shootout victory over within the final 32, and he might be hoping Tuesday will mark his largest World Cup second.
‘The nearer to seeing a cherished one go away, the extra we miss them’
Essentially the most regularly talked about phrase in Argentina proper now could be ‘bicampeonato’ (back-to-back World Cup championship).
However the query all people is considering, and no person needs to say, is ‘what is going to we do when Messi retires’?
Each new match the nationwide group performs within the World Cup – such because the one in opposition to Egypt on Tuesday – is one other step in the direction of glory, an opportunity to realize a feat solely two different international locations have managed ( in 1934 and 1938; in 1958 and 1962).
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But, every match additionally brings us nearer to the retirement of Argentine soccer’s best icon: the nationwide group captain, Messi.
His targets on this event (seven), his new information (taking part in his sixth World Cup, scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches), and dramatic encounters like the sport in opposition to , have stored the nation centered solely on the current second.
To prime it off, Messi is taking part in as if he had been 25, not 39 years outdated.
However everyone knows that the person who led us to a World Cup victory (Qatar 2022) and two Copa America titles (Brazil 2021 and the US 2024) is dancing his remaining tango within the albiceleste jersey.
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So, each victory represents progress within the event but additionally another alternative to benefit from the man who managed to succeed in the identical heights as Diego Maradona in our pantheon of soccer gods.
Apparently, many Argentine sports activities journalists have criticised the truth that, on this World Cup, the nationwide group has as soon as once more turn into “Messi-dependent”.
One of many nice achievements attributed to supervisor Lionel Scaloni was being the primary coach to construct a group that complemented Messi slightly than counting on him.
Within the years previous to Scaloni’s arrival, the nationwide group had endured a string of heartbreaks – the 2014 World Cup remaining loss in Brazil and two Copa America defeats on penalties within the remaining (Chile 2015 and the US 2016) – however that modified underneath the present supervisor.
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Now, solely 4 of the 11 targets Argentina have scored in the US weren’t netted by Messi; the 2 principal strikers – and – appear to play merely as suppliers for the nice captain, and the artistic midfielders who stepped up in earlier tournaments – and – appear extra centered on defending their very own aim than on attacking the opponent’s.
As in a private relationship, plainly the nearer we come to seeing a cherished one go away, the extra we’d like them.
‘He’s pleasure, pleasure and inspiration’
Salah is way more than a footballer, he’s pleasure, pleasure and inspiration.
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He evokes hundreds of thousands of Egyptians every single day. His story, from a small village in Nagrig to the largest soccer stadiums on the earth, makes each Egyptian really feel proud.
He reveals us that with onerous work and perception, something is feasible. Folks see him and really feel hope, not simply in soccer, however in life.
What makes Salah much more particular is who he’s as an individual. He’s humble, calm and respectful. Irrespective of how massive he turns into, he by no means forgets the place he got here from. He all the time represents Egypt in one of the simplest ways, and that is one thing all of us really worth and admire.
Right now, as we watch Egypt within the World Cup, the sensation is totally different when Salah is on the pitch.
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When Egypt beat Australia in a troublesome match determined by penalties, the entire nation was dwelling each second collectively.
Hearts had been beating quick, households had been gathered, and after we gained, it felt like one massive celebration throughout Egypt. Salah was on the centre of that feeling – main, inspiring and giving confidence to everybody.
Egyptians love Salah deeply. He brings folks collectively and offers us moments we are going to all the time bear in mind. When he performs, you possibly can really feel the entire nation behind him, proud and hopeful.
To me personally, Salah evokes energy, endurance and perception. He reminds us to all the time preserve going and to remain true to ourselves.
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Salah is not only a soccer star, he’s an emblem of pleasure for each Egyptian.