Argentina must find right balance

It was a story that gave an insight into the other Lionel Messi.

The one few know about and the one that’s dwarfed, such is the extent of his genius. Back in the days when Pep Guardiola was making Barcelona unbeatable, he was in the midst of a pre-game teamtalk when his star player interrupted for no other reason than to ask for a Coke. The manager was adamant it was the not the sort of pre-game drink he endorsed. Undeterred though, Messi just stood up, took one himself, opened it loudly in front of the entire team and took a long, accentuated slurp. The ego had truly landed.

For all that the Messi-Ronaldo debate focussed on humility versus arrogance, it seems we may have got it the wrong way around. In fact at the end of a season where Barcelona won nothing for the first time since 2008 and, not coincidentally, Messi wasn’t world player of the year for the first time since 2008, his low work-rate and mileage numbers were a source of concern. It seemed that way against Iran too. With a lack of space, rather than rile against it he seemed to give in to it. At one point, he passed the ball away and didn’t even attempt to close down mere metres to win it back. But as long as there are mind-blowing moments to follow, no one can tell him he’s wrong because he is bigger than even this Argentina team.