With his arms raised in Atlanta after providing the cross for Argentina’s stoppage-time winner against England, 39-year-old Lionel Messi knew he was heading to a third World Cup final. While he hasn’t confirmed his future plans, this will almost certainly be his last dance on the biggest stage of all.
Africa knows it. From Lagos to Nairobi, and from Accra to Cairo, the continent that has adopted Messi as one of its own will be glued to their screens. Sunday’s final in New Jersey offers the legendary forward a chance to cement his legacy as the greatest player of all time.
Two Decades of African Love: Why Messi Belongs to the Continent Too
It’s difficult to contemplate football over the past two decades without thinking of Messi. His rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo has defined the modern era for an entire generation of African football fans.
The debate over who was better has raged since the duo made their World Cup debuts in 2006. For many years, both struggled to fulfill their potential in this competition.
However, at the past two tournaments Messi has silenced all of his critics. He has now rewarded the majority of African supporters who have always picked him as their favourite.
Across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and deep into North Africa, Messi’s popularity knows no limit. Many would have still cheered on the icon when he registered a hat-trick against African opposition in the shape of Algeria in his first appearance at this World Cup.
From that moment on it seemed clear that the continent’s love affair with Messi was set for an epic finale this summer.
Messi has never played for an African team. But Africa has always played for Messi.
The Last Dance: What This Tournament Has Meant at 39
It has been both an expectation-defying and record-breaking tournament from the Inter Miami man. At age 39, nobody expected Messi to post his best-ever World Cup figures, with eight goals and four assists across seven matches so far.
He became the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup appearances, before extending the record streak to nine games with goals against Cabo Verde and Egypt.
Messi is also now the all-time top goalscorer in World Cup football with 21 goals. He surpassed Miroslav Klose’s previous mark of 16 earlier in the tournament, and remains one clear of Kylian Mbappé in the overall rankings.
However, it hasn’t been a smooth ride for Argentina. Their journey twice nearly ended against African opponents. They were taken to extra time by Cabo Verde and needed to come from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2.
There was another dose of extra time against Switzerland in the quarter-finals, before two Messi assists sparked a late comeback win against England in the last four.
As the tournament has progressed, Messi’s role has evolved from clinical finisher to chief creator. His ability to drift wide and deliver pinpoint crosses proved decisive in the last round.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has claimed “this team plays best when we are facing a difficult situation”. They’ve dug deep as a unit and consistently managed to advance, but the truth is that Argentina would almost certainly have been eliminated by now were it not for Messi.
As was the case in Qatar four years ago, this has been his tournament.
The Irony: Messi vs the Country That Made Him
The final against Spain is the dream conclusion to Messi’s World Cup story. Never before in a competitive setting has he faced the country where he has spent most of his life.
Across 21 years at FC Barcelona, he learned how to play football in the club’s prestigious academy, before developing into a global star. He remains a much-loved figure in Catalonia, having inspired many local youngsters, including current Barça and Spain winger Lamine Yamal who grew up idolising the Argentine.
Yamal wears his number 10 shirt and was famously involved in a photo shoot with Messi when he was just a baby. Incredibly, the student will now take on the master in a World Cup final, a storyline that is sure to have Africa gripped. Only football could produce such a script.
Why Africa Should Back Argentina on 22Bet
Spain were outstanding in their semi-final against France, which explains why Argentina are underdogs in New Jersey. They are priced at 3.78 to win the game in regulation time with 22Bet.
You can also back Messi to finish as the World Cup’s top goalscorer at 2.566. He’s level on eight goals with Mbappé heading into the weekend. The Frenchman could still add to his tally in the third-place play-off against England, so the Golden Boot is a major subplot for African bettors to keep an eye on.
The case for Argentina winning on Sunday goes beyond the logic that suggests Spain are the better team. The South American side’s fighting spirit and the unique ability of Messi to step up when it matters most have seen them always find a way.
It’s impossible to write off the legendary number 10. You can back Messi and Argentina on 22Bet.