Argentina Can Thrive Without Messi

By Joshua Walters

Argentina is a known football nation with a lot of talents, but the two-time World Cup winners have become an ordinary side in recent years despite having the world's most prolific player, Lionel Messi, in their fold.

Argentina has been struggling to find their footing since winning what has been their last ever trophy as a national team in 1986.

For every generation, there is a star man, who possesses extraordinary qualities, and such players are expected to lead their sides, be it clubs or national teams, to trophies.

Such is the case with Lionel Messi and the Argentine national team.

Diego Maradona emerged in Lionel Messi's category in 1986 and led Argentina to the World Cup, and the cross has since fallen on the Barcelona star to win the trophy for the Albiceleste.

Lionel Messi was handed his first call-up in August 2005 by Jose Pekerman for the friendly against Hungary, but has not lived up to expectations in the national colours.

Despite being unable to win a trophy with the national team, the Barcelona forward has always played a major part in the team’s journey to a successful run in competitions having led the side to two consecutive Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016, and one World Cup final in 2014.

Messi, who is a delight to watch and also successful at his club side, is somehow a failure in the blue and white stripes, and his presence in the team is hindering the progress of most of the talented players in the squad as nobody is willing to give room to the progress of any player as long as Messi is in the squad.

The former World Best player returned for the national team in the current international break after going on yet another sabbatical leave following the team's poor run in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

But, the talisman's return was met with a 3-1 defeat to the less fancied Venezuela.

Argentina has dumped most of their talented players, who in their respective clubs are considered as top class, but have less space in the national side.

Players like Paulo Dybala, Mauro Icardi and Angel Correa have all been performing well in their clubs, but have had limited chances wearing the national shirt yet Messi, who has not won the side a trophy has always been the poster boy.

Messi has been playing well with Barcelona but is yet to display same qualities at the national level and yet, Argentina are still looking to build their team around him while paying less attention to giving the likes of Dybala, Icardi, and others the chance to carry the team.

Dybala and Icardi are really better players than regular call-ups like Pavon, Marcos Acuna and the reasons the duo is not being looked at by Argentina are because they are not ready to kowtow to Messi and the star man is not accommodating enough to accept their differences.

If Icardi has been scoring more for Inter Milan where there is no Messi influence, then why can’t he replicate that form at the national team if given the chance?

If Paulo Dybala has been great with Juventus in the Serie A, then why can't he be given the chance to prove himself with the Albiceleste?

Among all said, players come and go; same as generations, and with nature always been dynamic, there will come a time when the football joggler will not be seen in the sports, and so the earlier Argentina start to give some players the chance and build an all-around team, the better it would be for them.