Lionel Messi and Argentina’s love story never used to be as smooth as it is now. Just like every relationship, it grew with time, and at some point, the former Barcelona forward wanted out and temporarily retired from international football. Only his love for his country could have changed his mind, and it might as well be his best decision ever.
Most of Messi’s past disappointments for his country came from the heavy expectations placed on him to succeed the great Diego Maradona, and after winning the World Cup himself last December, Lionel Messi has now explained in a recent session with Zinedine Zidane the significance of the No. 10 jersey to himself and millions of other Argentinians.
Lionel Messi on the significance of the No. 10 to Argentinians
Since Maradona’s passing in 2020, Messi has paid different tributes to his idol and recently revealed the significance of the No. 10 jersey, not just to himself but to several other Argentinians.
“For us Argentinians, the No. 10 is a very special number because you talk about No. 10, and automatically Maradona comes to your mind, right?”, the World Cup winner declared.
“Those of us who grew up playing football wanted to be like him. Although no one was able to play like him, that was our dream and desire,” he added.
Indeed, only one person came to mind as soon as Lionel Messi broke into the international stage – Diego Maradona. Argentina knew they had another generational talent that would take the country back to the summit of international football where it’s always belonged, and after several years of disappointments, Messi actualized those World Cup dreams and thereby immortalized himself in the hearts of Argentinians.
For the better part of Messi’s career, he has been constantly compared to the great Diego Maradona, and why not? They both have a magical left foot with the most interesting dribbling and ball-controlling skills any soccer player could ever possess. They also took the same career path, with both of them playing for Barcelona at some point in their career.
Even after joining Inter Miami, Messi took his time to pay a special tribute to the great Maradona by donning the No. 10 jersey of the 1994 World Cup in the United States, which Maradona wore when he scored his last goal for the Argentine national team.
Zinedine Zidane on Lionel Messi still wearing No. 10
If anyone can claim to understand the role of a perfect No. 10 in football, it’s Zinedine Zidane, and the Frenchman gave Lionel Messi his flowers in an interview put together by Adidas. The two soccer greats sat down to talk football, and as Messi explained the significance of the No. 10 jersey to him, Zidane quickly pointed out how Messi remains one of the few elite No. 10s left in soccer today.
“Well, thank goodness you still play, and the No. 10 still exists,” the ‘98 World Cup winner told Messi.
Zidane knows all about greatness, and the Frenchman made history when he scored a brace in the World Cup final in 1998 against Brazil. The former Real Madrid manager also weighed on the Ronaldo-Messi GOAT debate, as revealed by Patrice Evra. The Frenchman declared Ronaldo the best when he signed to be the manager of Real Madrid.
Do you agree that modern football is lacking quality No. 10s?
