- Lionel Messi led Argentina to their third victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
- Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend will be released on Apple TV+ on February 21
- DailyMail.com brings you all the latest international sports news
Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend on Apple TV+ details Lionel Messi and Argentina’s 2022 championship-winning soccer fairy tale. But it is also a stark reminder that the relationship between players and the state has not always been smooth sailing.
In December 2022, Messi led Argentina to the pinnacle of world football, overturning the only possible criticism of his brilliant career.
It filled the only empty space left in his trophy cabinet. It was the brightest jewel in the crown that declared Messi the greatest of all time.
But Apple TV+’s latest documentary, Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend – a four-part series released on February 21st – shows just how difficult it really is to be the best.
Yes, this documentary tells the story of how Messi ultimately won the World Cup. But the series also captures Argentina’s complex relationship with one of its greatest players through rare footage and interviews with numerous fans, journalists and analysts, including Gary Lineker.
His teammates set out with the goal of winning the World Cup for Messi. This is evidenced by the fact that Angel Di Maria, Emi Martínez and Rodrigo de Paul worship their talismans. But Messi did it for one purpose only. Not his career. he is not himself. Just like Argentina.
Messi’s love and dedication to his country, even if he wasn’t loved, is evident throughout the series.
The first episode is dedicated to Messi’s childhood, when he left Argentina for Barcelona at the age of 13, perhaps the first time his country turned its back on him.
The storyline will be familiar to many soccer fans, but it serves as a backdrop for the importance of the Qatar tournament, which was the final shot at the World Cup after a glittering career. A shot that was almost over before it really started.
As many soccer fans will forever remember, Argentina suffered a huge upset at the hands of Saudi Arabia in their opening match. But the calm and collected Messi described it simply as a “blow”, not a possible catastrophe.
And here, viewers get their first glimpse of what the forward means to his teammates. Di Maria and Enzo Fernandes claim that Messi’s ability to remain calm despite the shock was due to the fact that “Leo has inspired us to support him as much as possible”. I believe this is the reason why I was able to continue.
Messi has achieved a lot, but Argentina also demands a lot. After all, this is a country where football lives and breathes. That becomes clear in the fan superstitions that run throughout the final episode. From magic to bibles on the other side of the TV screen to freezing an opponent’s name in water, the Argentine will try anything to help his team. “We can’t sit around and do nothing,” says one supporter.
However, while they claim to be doing their part, the bulk of the blame has been placed on Messi. It’s always been that way.
Messi has spent most of his career carrying the hopes and dreams of 40 million people on his shoulders.
“Soccer is very passionately alive in Argentina,” he says. “My whole life has been like that. My whole career has been like that. And it’s very difficult. I really want to win for my country.”
The second episode is dedicated to the comparison between Messi and Diego Maradona, which has been drawn ever since Maradona appeared on the scene.
Messi branded his likeness as “special,” but the truth is that Maradona has cast a shadow over him throughout his career, a shadow that has become harder to break out of every time he misses out on a win with his national team.
Telemundo’s Andres Cantor explained that while Messi won everything with Barcelona, he didn’t win anything with Argentina until the 2021 Copa America, which created resentment towards their talisman in the country. .
The series flashed back to the 2015 and 2016 tournaments, when Argentina lost to Chile in the final, and the mob went rogue – just against Messi, not the selection.
“He used to go to his room and lock himself up,” said former teammate Sergio Aguero. “While we were having dinner with the others, he continued to suffer for Argentina.”
This pushed Messi to the brink of retirement. Still, the “mob” kept demanding more, and he kept giving more.
“Argentina is Leo’s weakness. He loves Argentina more than anyone else,” Aguero added, while footage of Messi shielding himself from media filters filled the screen. Meanwhile, he admits that Messi himself also feels guilty.
Flashbacks to 2015 and 2016 allow the series to show a stark contrast between previous tournaments and those held in Qatar.
Viewers will be left with the impression that this World Cup will be very different from previous ones. This time he has a team around him.
The documentary features testimonials to the star, including heartwarming scenes of Messi playing poker with his team-mates and Martinez’s bold claim that he would “die for a goal” for Messi.
The film juxtaposes these scenes of friendship by recalling Maradona’s 2010 selection, when one Argentina legend entrusted the weight of winning the World Cup to another. This documentary sends a clear message that Messi cannot win everything alone.
But while this series does a good job of capturing the importance of winning by looking back at Messi’s career as a whole, the World Cup itself feels overshadowed.
The shock of the opening match against Saudi Arabia and the excitement of the quarter-final against the Netherlands – including the clash with Wout Weghorst in the tunnel and Messi’s now infamous “Que Milas, Bobo?” The line ~ is well covered, but the rest of the knockout stages feel like a breeze. Just a backdrop for Messi’s show.
But the insights from fans, journalists, teammates and himself more than make up for it and paint a picture that goes beyond the World Cup.
Viewers already know the outcome of the match on soccer’s biggest stage, but now they understand the emotion behind it.
And when The Who’s “Baba O’Reilly” plays over footage of Messi finally winning the World Cup, viewers not only witness Messi’s journey to glory in Qatar, but also the journey that spans 20 years. It makes you feel like you’re witnessing the creation of a legend.
Overall, “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” tells the story of how a boy from Rosario went from an underrated talent to a hero, a villain, and then back to being a hero for his national team. It’s a powerful story.