Superstar Lionel Messi will pause in her Barcelona soap opera as she tries to send Argentina back to the World Cup in Qatar and this will be her last chance to go and win the coveted trophy.
The 33-year-old, six-time Ballon d’Or winner, has won it all in the club game with Barca on several occasions, but his trophy cupboard seems sparse in comparison.
“The only purpose I have now is to win the World Cup with the national team,” he said in the past. The closest he came here to being a finalist lost to Germany in 2014.
Thursday’s clash (Friday morning, Beijing time) with Ecuador gives you the possibility to begin construction towards a final inclination towards this goal.
He will be 35 years old at the end of the Qatar World Cup and 39 years at the next world centerpiece in North America.
Meanwhile, he has two playoffs – Argentina travels to Bolivia next Tuesday – to distract him from his club’s difficulties.
Messi tried to force his exit from the Catalan giant in the preseason, but Barça remained in company and a 700 million euro ($ 823 million) buyout clause was confident that he remained, although dissatisfied.
Playing with Ecuador in your home country can offer you a welcome break, but it is also riddled with potential dangers.
Four years ago, at the start of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Ecuador eliminated Argentina 2-0 at the iconic River Plate Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
It took a hat-trick through an animated Messi in Argentina’s qualifying final, away from Ecuador, to send the two-time world champion to Russia.
Thursday’s setting will take place in an iconic stadium: the Boca Juniors Bombonera.
However, it will be a surreal delight in an empty box that would fill up to the brink with some of the world’s most fervent fans. COVID-19 has put an end to any hope of a paying hearing.
It is a very different Argentina from the one that defrauded the last World Cup.
Young coach Lionel Scaloni embarked on an ambitious team regeneration following the abject departure of the Russian final under the direction of Jorge Sampaoli.
However, along Scaloni’s ‘new guard’, there are several old hats, such as Messi’s.
“We can say that there are seven or eight players in reminiscence who make up the base,” Scaloni said, noting that with “a day of preparation” they would want the team’s experienced bosses to start.
He will be Manchester City’s injured striker Sergio Aguero, while Scaloni has left out the end of Paris Saint-Germain Angel Di Maria.
“Messi wants two players in front of him to be able to help and back, not in the end. That’s how they gave us effects at the 2019 Copa América Brasil,” Scaloni added, referring to Argentina’s third place.
One who competes to lead the line is Lucas Ocampos of Seville.
“He is strong, technical and scores goals, and is also helping in the defensive phase,” said Scaloni, who will also have to do so between Paulo Dybala of Juventus and Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan.