#i've experienced staggering relief and euphoria

[doux-amer]

But to ask what he might do in a better team is to miss the point. That Diego Maradona inspired a team who were far from world-beaters was his great glory. Something similar, right at the end of the era that began in Doha 27 years ago, might yet be Messi’s.

Love that ending because that was what was on my mind for weeks. One of the things people say when comparing Leo and Maradona—and inevitably concluding that Maradona is better—is that the argument that Leo is held back by his teammates is weak because Maradona won the World Cup and he did it pretty much singlehandedly. If he could do it, then why can’t Leo if Leo is supposed to be the GOAT especially if Leo was supported by more talent? 

It should have been enough to see how far Leo has taken Argentina over the years; those talented squads always choked and the truth is that had it not been for him, they would have bowed out in previous competitions much earlier. Their accomplishments at the club level didn’t translate to the national team for one reason or another. But this squad? There are barely—if any—stars besides Leo (and an aging Di María), at least when you compare them to the ones in the past. Yet Leo is pulling the entire wagon forward with the rope between his teeth essentially on his own and maybe this Argentinian side isn’t the most convincing or dazzling. Maybe they aren’t household names you remember or will. 

If Argentina finally reach that elusive World Cup win, however, then that win will be emblematic of this era of Argentinian football. No single player can win a competition or even game on his own; this is a team sport. But Leo’s efforts are, more than ever, the closest we’ve seen to that happening. You can tell that in the shift in atmosphere at Argentina’s matches over the past couple of years and in this tournament too. It’s likely due to people waking up to the fact that we only have so much time with him, but I’ve never seen such adoration from Argentinian fans in the stands as I have in this World Cup. Yes, people have considered him the GOAT, but they revere him and everything we’re seeing is an encapsulation of his legacy and what he means to his country, his fans, and this entire sport. We’re singing his praises while he’s still here and it’s beautiful. There’s just something different in the air this time around, and no matter what happens, it feels like there’s a legend being born (yes, he already was one, but the interactions between the fans and the team just feel like there’s some kind of myth being created in front of our eyes if that makes sense? Feels like a sense of destiny that wasn’t there before).

Anyway, I missed seeing him play so much. I never took it for granted because you couldn’t; he was too special to ever get accustomed to him and he’d do something to surprise you every week. But he feels like he’s transcended into some otherworldly tier, watching him play this tournament. Just feels like he’s out there showing everyone this is his tournament, that this moment belongs to him no matter the outcome. There are brilliant, exciting players coming up, but there’s only one Leo and it feels like we’re all watching him in awe and appreciating him, shaking our heads in wonder as he does something inconceivably brilliant and impossible again, thinking, “D10S/King Leo indeed.”