Messi rarely speaks publicly, and his last tournament status surfaced in the same understated way he often uses for commercial or sponsored posts. Even Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was waiting for some sort of announcement or call before the roster was set. Scaloni eventually rang Messi, and the superstar said he would wait to see if his name was on the list. It was, and he is here.
There had been real doubt about whether Messi would represent Argentina this summer. That question is settled, but the weight around this campaign is not. Argentina is trying to send Messi out with a legacy cementing tournament win, a second World Cup title that would put him ahead of eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo on that count and one more than eternal hero Diego Maradona.
This Last Tango is not Messi's alone. Defender Nicolas Otamendi, who has played with Messi since 2009 is also in his final World Cup. Goalkeeper Dibu Martinez, defender Nicolas Tagliafico, and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul are likely making their last runs as well.
It's ending, and this does bring up feelings. Hopefully we can go game by game and get to the last stages. That's what we're looking for because we're the Argentina national. We were born to compete, to fight against adversity.
Otamendi added that he is trying to enjoy the moment rather than dwell on the ending, and pointed to the camps he has shared with Messi as something worth savoring even after painful losses.
Teammates have long spoken about wanting titles for themselves, for Argentina, and for Messi. That dynamic adds extra weight even as Scaloni has tried to take what he called the backpack, an Argentine expression for pressure on a team's shoulders, off his squad.
It's the same feeling as before Saudi Arabia, the same tension. You feel something inside like all Argentines do, but the important thing is that after the match, no matter what happens, we feel proud that team gave everything, the team plays like it played, the opponent is always there and whether the ball goes in our not, just rest in that.
Scaloni also said Argentina still treats the sport as a sport, even at a World Cup, and that many things remain more important than the tournament itself. Even with that message, the shadow of Argentina's opening defeat to Saudi Arabia at the start of the 2022 campaign hangs over the mood before kickoff.
Argentine fans have already turned areas near Kansas City's Spanish style plaza into a party atmosphere ahead of the opener. Many supporters are expected to follow the team to Dallas for Argentina's next two group games, while others may link up in Miami if the squad pushes toward a deep run.
Every top national team carries fan expectations, but Argentina enters this World Cup with a specific mission tied to Messi's farewell. Results could lighten that backpack as the Last Tango moves from Kansas City toward whatever comes next.
