Argentina abides: a triumph for perseverance

Lionel Messi can finally frame the photo he always dreamed he would feature in. Eight years after he was forced to walk by the FIFA World Cup trophy with his head bowed at the Maracana, he was able to hold the silverware and feel it in his hands in Lusail. In his joy, and in the joy of the 50,000 Albiceleste fans in the stands and the 45 million who came out to dance in streets and squares right across Argentina, there lies a message that is even more powerful than a story of success and victory: a tale of resilience.
Messi never gave up. While the idolatry of Diego Maradona was partly rooted in his rebellious nature, La Pulga will forever be a symbol of the struggle of his people. Messi, who crowned one of the most incredible careers in football history by lifting the World Cup on Sunday in Qatar, never gave up, despite several lost finals and a litany of disappointments. He took the hard knocks and never, ever gave in.
“That’s what it’s all about, getting back up and trying again, in all aspects of life,” said Messi after Argentina’s win over Croatia in the semi-finals, a few days prior to exhibiting great strength of character again as he fulfilled the aim of a lifetime. “Everyone gets knocked down, but the important thing is to try again and fight for your dreams. At one point I did have doubts, but thank goodness I came back to enjoy all this.”

Scaloni’s heart-to-heart with Messi
A few months ago, Lionel Scaloni, now a World Cup-winning coach, was worried. Argentina had won the Copa America and had just sealed qualification for Qatar 2022 following a goalless draw with Brazil in San Juan. The qualifying campaign had gone smoothly, and the team’s unfortunate 28-year run without a title had ended; their fans were wild with excitement and anticipation as they allowed themselves to dream of a third world crown.
In this fever-pitch atmosphere, Scaloni was concerned that any disappointment in the Middle East would be too much to bear for the South American nation.
He decided to discuss the issue with Messi directly. “I talked to him before he went back to Paris, because I felt what lay ahead of us was going to be difficult,” he said. “We were going through something where emotions were high, and any disappointment had the potential to be quite intense. But he replied that it didn’t matter, that we had to keep going, because everything was going to be fine.
“And that if it wasn’t fine, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but that we had to at least give it a try. His answer made me realise that we were doing something right.”
Scaloni is another figure in the Argentinian set-up who has never stopped battling: he overcame his disappointment as a player at Germany 2006, and years later he rose above the widespread criticism he endured at the start of his now-historic four-year tenure.

Di Maria heals 2014 wounds
Nor was giving up on the agenda for another protagonist of the spectacular final, Angel Di Maria. Eight years ago, he tore up a letter that Real Madrid had sent him, requesting that he refrain from playing in the final of the 2014 World Cup at the Maracana to avoid aggravating an injury. “I remember when the letter arrived from Real Madrid,” he recalled. “I didn’t even want to look at it and I ripped it up. We obviously lost the World Cup final – it was the most difficult day of my life.”
Given the cold shoulder at the beginning of the Scaloni revolution, the skilful winger showed humility and patience, and worked hard to regain his place in the side. In Lusail, after giving Jules Kounde and Ousmane Dembele a torrid time down the left, earning the penalty and scoring his country’s second goal, he also enjoyed a spot of redemption.

Spirit, grit and heart
Scaloni’s Argentina side demonstrated many qualities at Qatar 2022, but none were as impressive as their unbreakable spirit, grit and heart, which enabled them to bounce back from setbacks and flip adverse circumstances on their head. When their individual paths are put under the spotlight, every player, particularly the starting XI against France, is an example of this phenomenon.
For example, Emiliano Martinez joined the elite club of World Cup-winning goalkeepers after overcoming uncertainty and a series of loan moves while at Arsenal, Nahuel Molina managed to reinvent himself in Europe after struggling to break into the first team at Boca Juniors, Nicolas Otamendi became a leader in spite of that disastrous 4-0 quarter-final defeat by Germany at South Africa 2010, and Nicolas Tagliafico succeeded in earning back his spot in the team after sub-par displays had seen him relegated to the bench.
This list could easily be extended to each of the 26 squad members, from the midfielders to the forwards, from the starters to the substitutes and even the backroom staff, which includes some former Albiceleste greats who also experienced World Cup sorrows.
But the aforementioned grit is also collective: Argentina came back strongly from their initial surprise defeat by Saudi Arabia, they survived a shoot-out against a formidable Netherlands side, and they again showed the steadfast aspect of their character versus a French team reluctant to relinquish their hard-earned crown.

Scaloni: We kept going
Scaloni, the only one to speak at the post-victory press conference, was clear: “The spirit of this team is such that they never give up. Those two French goals we let in were real blows, just like against the Netherlands. But we kept going; we knew we had to win.
“These players play for the people, for the Argentinian fans. There are no egos or rivalries here – they all work towards the same goal. We had reasons to be optimistic. The message for our supporters is to enjoy it, because you have to understand that sometimes things don’t go your way. Tomorrow life will go on, and the problems we have will still be there, but everyone will be a little bit happier, at least.”
And Argentina is certainly happy. Messi, this national team and its coaches have made an impact that is greater than an extra star on a shirt.
They have shown their followers that some goals are worth fighting for, that they should never throw in the towel, and that although it sometimes takes time, there is always a reward at the end. 
FIFA.com