In a bind, Argentina looks to Messi again entering World Cup qualifier vs. Brazil

On the cusp of being in World Cup qualifying peril, Argentina turns its eyes once again to Lionel Messi to provide the antidote.

Jonathan Wilson | Nov 9, 2016

In a bind, Argentina looks to Messi again entering World Cup qualifier vs. Brazil /

If there is any consolation for Argentina, it is to imagine how bad this would have been if Lionel Messi hadn’t reversed his decision to retire from international play. The 2014 World Cup finalist faces Brazil on Thursday sitting sixth in the CONMEBOL qualifying table for 2018, not even in the playoff spot. There are still eight games to go, and there are three teams all within a point of each other, but a defeat in Belo Horizonte–and Brazil has never lost a home qualifier–would start to place Argentina’s participation in Russia in real jeopardy.

But at least Messi is back having missed the last two qualifiers–a draw in Peru and a home defeat to Paraguay–with a groin injury. And at least when manager Edgardo Bauza replaced Gerardo Martino at the beginning of August he was able to coax Messi out of international retirement. The figures are stark: in three qualifiers with Messi, Argentina has taken nine points; in seven without him it has earned seven.

Yet it shouldn’t be like this. As brilliant as Messi is, if there is any country in the world that shouldn’t be reliant on one creative player it is Argentina. This is not some footballing backwater or nation with a tiny population that produces one great player every generation or two. This is a squad replete with high-class attacking midfielders and forwards: Angel Di Maria, Ever Banega, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Correa. Bauza has left out Javier Pastore, Erik Lamela and Paulo Dybala. And yet, in a sense, that is part of the problem.

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Given the raw materials, the temptation was to try to pack the side with attacking talent and, rather than thinking of balance, try to create a team for the ages, not merely a successful side but one that would be loved and remembered across the world for the beauty of its play. If there was any logic to Diego Maradona’s team selections before and during the 2010 World Cup–and there probably wasn’t–that was it.

Sergio Batista, who succeeded Maradona, spoke of trying to make Argentina play like Barcelona, an always doomed ambition given both the uniqueness of the Barcelona method and how little time international sides have to practice together. The result was stodgy football that lacked fluency: each component may have been good, but the collective didn’t work.

Alejandro Sabella was far more pragmatic and had the strength of character to omit Carlos Tevez and ignore his army of supporters. Perhaps, had Messi not been in what was, by his lofty standards, a desperate rut of form, Argentina would have won the World Cup. Perhaps if Manuel Neuer had been sent off, as he surely should have been, for his head-high foul on Higuain in the final, Argentina would have won it. But it did not, and Argentina’s reaction after the World Cup was of a mixture of pride at reaching the final coupled with a sense that it had never quite played to its maximum.

Best Photos of Lionel Messi

A young Lionel Messi poses for a photo in Argentina circa 1993.

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring Argentina's second goal against Venezuela during a South American Under-20 Championship game on Jan. 13, 2005 in Armenia, Colombia.

Lionel Messi flips into a pool during a relaxed practice of Argentina's Under-20 soccer team on Jan. 14, 2005 in Pereira, Colombia.

Lionel Messi celebrates with the trophy after Argentina won the FIFA World Youth Championships over Nigeria on July 2, 2005 in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Lionel Messi poses with the Golden Boy trophy awarded by Italian magazine 'Tuttosport' distinguishing the best player under-21 on Dec. 14, 2005 in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Rafael Marquez celebrate after defeating Espanyol to win the Spanish League on May 6, 2006 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Khalid Boulahrouz and Lionel Messi challenge for the ball during the World Cup Group C soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina on June 21, 2006 at the World Cup stadium in Frankfurt, Germany.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores with his hand during a Spanish League match against Espanyol on June 9, 2007 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Messi continued to draw comparisons with Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona who scored in similar fashion during a quarterfinal World Cup match against England in 1986.

Argentina's Lionel Messi plays the ball during the 2008 Summer Olympics Men's Soccer semifinal against Brazil on Aug. 19, 2008 at Beijing Workers' Stadium in China.

Argentina's Lionel Messi plays the ball during the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Mexico on June 27, 2010 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Lionel Messi and girlfriend Antonella Rocuzzo swim with dolphins at the Delphinus aquarium on July 24, 2010 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi from vies for the ball with Getafe's goalkeeper Jordi Codina during their La Liga match on Nov. 7, 2010 at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez in Getafe, near Madrid, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after scoring against Real Madrid during their semifinal, 1st leg Champions League soccer match on April 27, 2011 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts after scoring against Osasuna during their La Liga match on Sept. 17, 2011 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

2012-0421-Lionel-Messi-Pepe-Sergio-Ramos-Fabio-Coentrao.jpg — Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP

Barcelona's Lionel Messi duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Fabio Coentrao during their La Liga match on April 21, 2012 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with Gonzalo Higuain after scoring against Ecuador during their World Cup qualifying match on June 2, 2012 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Carlos M. Saavedra for Sports Illustrated

Argentina's Lionel Messi makes a header during an International Friendly against Brazil on June 9, 2012 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid during their La Liga match on Oct. 7, 2012 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi smiles during a news conference after receiving his Golden Boot award in recognition for scoring the most goals in Europe's domestic leagues on Oct. 29, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

2013-0116-Lionel-Messi-FIFA-World-Player-of-the-Year-awards.jpg — Emilio Morenatti/AP

Barcelona's Lionel Messi poses with his four FIFA Men's World Player of the Year awards before a Copa del Rey match against Malaga on Jan. 16, 2013 at the Camp Nou stadium, in Barcelona, Spain. Messi received the award for a record-breaking fourth successive year.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi kicks the ball during their La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano on March 17, 2013 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring the opening goal during their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal match against Paris Saint-Germain on April 2, 2013 at Parc des Princes in Paris, France.

2013-0519-Lionel-Messi-son-Thiago-Spanish-League-trophy.jpg — David Ramos/Getty Images

Barcelona's Lionel Messi holds his son Thiago as they sit next to the trophy after winning the La Liga match against Real Valladolid on May 19, 2013 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi plays the ball during their La Liga match against Espanyol on March 29, 2014 at Cornella-El Prat stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, Spain.

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup Group F match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 15, 2014 at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates Angel di Maria and Marcos Rojo after scoring their first goal during the FIFA World Cup Group F match against Nigeria on June 25, 2014 at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil

Belgium's Vincent Kompany and Argentina's Lionel Messi fight for the ball during the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match on July 5, 2014 at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores his team's fourth goal during the La Liga match against Granada CF on Sept. 27, 2014 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the La Liga match against Sevilla FC on Nov. 22, 2014 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Alexander Hassenstein/FIFA via Getty Images

FIFA Ballon d'Or nominee Lionel Messi poses for a portrait prior to the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala on Jan. 12, 2015 at the Park Hyatt hotel in Zurich, Switzerland.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi attempts a bicycle kick against Valencia's Nicolas Otamendi during their La Liga match on April 18, 2015 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi plays with his son Thiago after the La Liga match against Deportivo La Coruna on May 23, 2015 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi kisses the trophy after the Champions League final match victory over Juventus F.C. on June 6, 2015 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany.

Argentina's Lionel Messi kicks the ball during their Copa America semifinal match against Paraguay on June 30, 2015 at the Estadio Municipal de Concepcion in Chile.

Manu Fernandez/AP

Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores his side's second goal past Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during their Group E Champions League match on Nov. 24, 2015 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Perhaps it was then that the reliance on Messi began. The round-of-16 game against Switzerland, in particular, felt a case of everybody waiting for Messi, invariably surrounded by markers, to do something which he eventually did, laying on a goal for Di Maria with a pass of extraordinary precision. The issue was partly tactical, with Sabella choosing to set up with a solid base and playing through Messi, but it was also psychological.

Little changed under Martino’s often shambolic reign. If Messi played well, as he did perhaps most notably in the 2015 Copa America semifinal against Paraguay, then Argentina played well. If he did not, Argentina did not. Was it him? Had he consciously built a political base? It would seem out of character, and yet there’s no doubt that the appointment of Martino, like Messi a native of Rosario, was made in part with him in mind. More likely, perhaps, is that genius intimidates.

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And there is a flip side to that. Messi’s brilliance becomes taken for granted. He becomes news only when he fails. He was criticized after the World Cup, criticized after the 2015 Copa America and then he missed the decisive penalty in the Copa America Centenario. It's little wonder, then, that Messi, exhausted and despondent, decided to retire, at least for a short while.

Bauza and a wave of popular sentiment brought him back, but, with the pressure ramped up again, questions remain about his psychological state. When he dyed his hair blond, he said it was because he wanted to mark a break from the past. What, then, should be read into his decision to black out the tattoo on his left leg? He had previously had a design featuring flowers, a sword, wings and a ball, but he arrived for training on Tuesday with that covered in ink, skin showing through only to depict the No. 10 and the name of his son, Thiago. What does this signify? A desire to return to basics, perhaps, to reboot and start again.

Argentina certainly hopes so.

Published Nov 9, 2016

JONATHAN WILSON

An accomplished author of multiple books, Jonathan Wilson is one of the world’s preeminent minds on soccer tactics and history.