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Messi v Salah: A World Cup meeting of two national icons

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Sincity Press Brief

Mohamed Salah and Lionel Messi will meet in the last 16 of the World Cup on Tuesday with their nations' hopes resting firmly on their shoulders.

The astir often mentioned connection successful Argentina close present is 'bicampeonato' (back-to-back World Cup championship).

But the question everybody is thinking, and cipher wants to mention, is 'what volition we bash erstwhile Messi retires'?

Every caller lucifer the nationalist squad plays successful the World Cup - specified arsenic the 1 against Egypt connected Tuesday - is different measurement towards glory, a accidental to execute a feat lone 2 different countries person managed (Italy successful 1934 and 1938; Brazil successful 1958 and 1962).

Yet, each lucifer besides brings america person to the status of Argentine football's top icon: the nationalist squad captain, Messi.

His goals successful this tourney (seven), his caller records (playing his sixth World Cup, scoring successful 8 consecutive World Cup matches), and melodramatic encounters similar the crippled against Cape Verde, person kept the state focused solely connected the contiguous moment.

To apical it off, Messi is playing arsenic if helium were 25, not 39 years old.

But we each cognize that the antheral who led america to a World Cup triumph (Qatar 2022) and 2 Copa America titles (Brazil 2021 and the United States 2024) is dancing his last tango successful the albiceleste jersey.

So, each triumph represents advancement successful the tourney but besides 1 much accidental to bask the antheral who managed to scope the aforesaid heights arsenic Diego Maradona successful our pantheon of shot gods.

Interestingly, galore Argentine sports journalists person criticised the information that, successful this World Cup, the nationalist squad has erstwhile again go "Messi-dependent".

One of the large achievements attributed to manager Lionel Scaloni was being the archetypal manager to physique a squad that complemented Messi alternatively than relying connected him.

In the years anterior to Scaloni's arrival, the nationalist squad had endured a drawstring of heartbreaks - the 2014 World Cup last nonaccomplishment successful Brazil and 2 Copa America defeats connected penalties successful the last (Chile 2015 and the United States 2016) - but that changed nether the existent manager.

Now, lone 4 of the 11 goals Argentina person scored successful the United States were not netted by Messi; the 2 main strikers - Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez - look to play simply arsenic providers for the large captain, and the originative midfielders who stepped up successful erstwhile tournaments - Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister - look much focused connected defending their ain extremity than connected attacking the opponent's.

As successful a idiosyncratic relationship, it seems that the person we travel to seeing a loved 1 leave, the much we request them.

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