Argentina attempts to keep the World Cup while Messi is on the verge of collapse

• This is not how it was intended to be
• There was a lot of optimism in Argentina prior to the World Cup that Lionel Messi would have a dazzling farewell
• Tiny superstar with magic in his boots insisted he was in good physical condition before what he claimed would be his final attempt to win the World Cup

This trophy is the only thing Messi needs to complete his impressive collection of individual and team honours after winning La Liga 10 times, the Ballon d’Or 7 times, the Champions League 4 times, and the Copa America once.

Argentina entered the competition with a historic 36-match unbeaten streak after defeating arch rivals Brazil in their own backyard to win the Copa America the previous year.

Argentina was hailed as one of, if not the, favourite by experts and supporters everywhere.

The best player the world has ever seen was about to earn football’s top honour, and Argentina was allowing itself to dream.

However, their shocking 2-1 loss to a more skillful and athletic Saudi Arabia on Tuesday has brought them crashing down to earth.

The realisation is that Messi’s World Cup story might possibly be about to come to a humiliating conclusion rather than adding icing to an already magnificent cake.

Argentina has already started the autopsy.

Both football experts and fans are debating whether the “Pibe” was indeed fit.

Because of a knock to his calf, he had missed a few group training sessions in favour of sticking to his own personal training regimen.

Despite the fact that he was only wearing an ice pack, a photo of his seemingly malformed ankle quickly went popular on social media.

Even his club Paris Saint-Germain came under fire for supposedly daring to play him week in and week out rather than protecting him with cotton wool so he could travel to the World Cup in the best condition to represent his nation.

powerful speech

As his team was caught offside seven times in the first half, coach Lionel Scaloni also came under fire for what was viewed as his inability to break the tight defensive line of the Saudis.

He was also criticised for their inability to overcome a resolute defence that dug in once they gained the upper hand.

However, there was a sobering acknowledgment that Messi might not be as outstanding as he once was at 35 years old.

According to sports publication Ole, “He is not injured, but he does have various logical ailments owing to his age and the amount of minutes played this season.”

Nevertheless, Messi continues to be the nation’s hope for the future.

After the Saudi match, stories of his moving message to his teammates on the bus quickly spread.

He allegedly said to them at training the next day: “The people believe that this group will not forsake them.

“It’s up to us, we know we have to win, but we’ve played in these kinds of games before; it’s time to get our heads above water,”

If Argentina wants to defeat Mexico on Saturday and keep their prospects of moving on alive, Messi will need to rise beyond the subpar performance against Saudi.