A soccer player in Argentina is not just that: he is a cultural example or, in the worst case, an opaque counterexample. And our society can display both cases. This World Cup shows us, as rarely before, a Messi magnified at the edge of his 40s, having become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. A place he snatched, after the match against Algeria, from German striker Miroslav Klose. With a fully controlled ego, Messi received that podium with a phrase without pretense. Or rather, as he is. «It’s an honor to be alongside Klose, Ronaldo, Mbappé – he said – Ronaldo is one of the greatest and he’s not first. In the end, it’s all just statistics.» The honor of being with them is his, Messi’s. Of the man who has the world at his feet.
And it is not, in his case, an overacted humility. It is a humility that protects him, above all, himself. An asset that Maradona never had the privilege of having, with his already trademark phrase: «You have it inside.» A phrase that describes him entirely, full of sexual violence, typical of the Argentine. And of the resentful Argentine. The one we no longer want to be. Many have not realized it, but Argentina has changed and now – surprise – you can also criticize «god.» Because Maradona has been «god» for this country ravaged by the roller coasters of successive economic crises; a chronically broken society that could only feed its self-esteem with the pride of being a soccer powerhouse. And Maradona fed that slot like few, like no one. But from there to being God…
But why talk about Maradona when the one shining is Messi? It’s that, with the anti-Messi core playing against a World Cup that, if won, would benefit Milei (so reasons part of the «kuka» world), the comparison with a Maradona who knew how to embrace both Kirchnerism and the Castro dictatorship, which allegedly provided him with women, becomes inevitable. And in some minor cases, like Mavys Álvarez, barely 16 years old, who as an adult recounted in several interviews a true ordeal. The Cuban woman was saved from suicide by a miracle, and not precisely by «the hand of God.»
Messi and Maradona reflect two countries, two value systems. Led by a «cipayo» and «declassed» captain – as many in the K-world have defined him – the shadow of a culturally dark, arrogant, violent, haughty Maradona emerges. A bully. A Maradona who surely made you dream on the field, but off it radiated nightmares. We do not evaluate him here as the genius star he was but as the cultural ambassador of a country. The Kirchnerist «philosopher» Diego Brancatelli, one of the anti-Messi, says: «It’s Messi and Maradona.» And soccer-wise that is probably true. But culturally, no. Messi and Maradona reflect two countries, two value systems, two completely opposite belief systems. And today we want to be more Messi than Maradona.
Federico «el Negro» Bulos, sent for World Cup coverage by ESPN, gave a very accurate definition of this open and spicy debate: «Messi is the Argentine we would like to be. Maradona, on the other hand, is the Argentine we are.» But why criticize Maradona now that he is dead and cannot defend himself? A typical question from Maradona fans. And the answers are many. One: he was criticized in life and a lot. And Maradona defended himself. A very notable criticism was that of Bernardo Neustadt and they would tear him apart in the media. Secondly, following that criterion, you could not question or analyze any historical figure. Death does not redeem anyone.
Again, we are talking about two models of a country, cultural ambassadors, life examples for the young. And if one is a healthy leader; the other has been a toxic leader, whose first victim was himself. Maradona himself. Legend has it that when the Watergate case broke out, discovered and investigated by journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, their editor at The Washington Post decided to apply an anti-ego method to his two young stars so that the glory of having «toppled» a president who had committed serious misconduct would not go to their heads. Benjamin Bradlee asked them if they knew a legendary journalist who had been a star decades earlier. Woodward and Bernstein shook their heads. «You see? So, the only thing that matters is the story of the day. Of each day. Go back to work.»
Yesterday Messi turned 39 and started his routine training, with a privileged body. As every day. At 40, Maradona had a heart attack, partly due to addiction disease, from which his doctors thought he would not recover. It is true – and I am hearing it – that both had different environments, different social classes, dissimilar support (or lack thereof). But for that, Argentines are not to blame.
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para mi messi es el argentino q labura y triunfa no como el negrito resentido de maradona q solo supo generar violencia y droga basta de romantizar la mugre vamos con messi q representa el esfuerzo y la ley dale q se viene el mundial y hay q mostrar la argentina q progresa no la del pasado los zurdos lloran pero la verdad es una sola messi es patria maradona es decadencia
Para mí Messi es el laburante que se parte el lomo como el pueblo mientras Maradona es el pasado kircho lleno de bronca y faso un verso que nos clavan los gorilas Messi es futuro pibe es unidad no violencia berreta Vamos con el que nos representa a los de abajo no al resentido que nos divide Aguante Messi carajo