Argentina fans believe again, and they do so thanks to Lionel Messi, whose opening goal against Mexico resuscitated a national team that was dying.
The post-Messi era is going to be very hard and we still have to enjoy this historic era that has not yet ended.
For now, Messi is already beginning to look Diego Maradona in the face in terms of their World Cup numbers.
Messi, who was the MVP against Mexico, is approaching a centenary of goals with Argentina as his strike on Saturday took his tally to 93 goals with the Albiceleste, although he is far behind Cristiano Ronaldo‘s 118 with Portugal, who holds the record.
In this one, Messi equalled Diego Maradona as the Argentine with the most World Cup matches (21) and as the Argentine with the most goals (eight) in World Cups, although the leading World Cup goalscorer of his country is Gabriel Batistuta with 10.
Many Argentine fans were crying out for Enzo Fernandez to be included in the team to face Mexico, but Lionel Scaloni once again left him on the bench.
When he came on as a substitute, his impact was immediate, with great personality and the courage to take on his man and shoot to score the second goal.
It is clear that Scaloni must get rid of his complexes, stop respecting the dressing room heavyweights and put Enzo in the team against Poland.
Mexico coach Tata Martino, much criticized in Mexico will face even more scrutiny from now on for his approach against Argentina.
He aimed for the miracle of 0-0, without ambition, gambling everything on not conceding and not believing that his players can offer more.
He showed a lack of character and will face great criticism in the coming days, as in Mexico, despite not being eliminated, they will show no mercy.
Andres Guardado, the captain of El Tri, was one of the players Mexico brought into the team but he only lasted 42 minutes on the field.
Another muscular problem left him out of the match… and who knows if he will miss the rest of the World Cup.
He is the most capped Mexican in history with 179 appearances, which is even more than Messi, for example, who reached 167 for Argentina. The highest number of any national team is Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa with 196.
Guardado came out to control the match, and he did, but his muscles did not hold up in his fifth World Cup.
World Cup after World Cup, Mexico wins in the stands. There is no more numerous fanbase, in terms of those who have traveled to Doha, than the Aztecs. It is true that there were many Argentines, but not as many as their rivals.
Where the Mexican players faded against their Argentine counterparts on the pitch, those in the stands continued to show the true beauty of the World Cup until the final whistle.
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