'A SPECIAL NIGHT' 👏 REACTION to Lionel Messi's final match with Argentina national team 🇦🇷 | ESPN FC
ESPN FC panel on Messi's Argentina farewell: the end of an era and life after Messi
The show discusses Lionel Messi's final match for Argentina, with the panel reviewing his international career and peak years. They agree that winning the World Cup brought him overwhelming support in Argentina and secured his place in the greatest-ever debate, and that he will be extremely hard to replace as Argentina face the post-Messi transition.
- Messi's passion in his farewell speech is strong enough that Argentina should put him on the coaching staff for the next World Cup — He clearly loves Argentina, and the commitment and leadership in his speech are exactly what Scaloni could use.
- Messi's peak came under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, where he was unplayable and must be in the greatest-ever conversation — He was unstoppable whether playing wide, as a No. 10 or as a No. 9, and his skill, longevity and professionalism command admiration.
- Messi is a class act on and off the pitch — His farewell speech in the stadium showed the same quality he brought as a player, earning respect beyond his ability.
- Winning the World Cup has turned Argentine fans overwhelmingly in Messi's favor and overshadowed the old debate over his place in the game — He cited Argentine friends who said the debate existed because Messi had not won the World Cup, and that now everyone loves him.
- Playing against Messi was a nightmare because he was too smart and complete — He could pass, score and win one-on-ones, was hard to knock off the ball despite his size, and belonged to a generation of Argentine players who were very tough to handle.
- Argentina will struggle to replace Messi and must now work out what life looks like after him — Messi remained central to everything good Argentina did; after the 2016 Copa America final loss to Chile and his brief retirement U-turn, Argentina became unstoppable in South America and world football with him as a key part.
On ESPN FC, Kay Murray is joined by Shaka Hislop, Don Hutchison and Jermaine Jones to discuss Lionel Messi’s final match with the Argentina national team, where he scored one goal and added two assists to go out on his own terms. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN ESPNFC lionelmessi argentina
Transcript
Obviously, the World Cup back in 2022, twotime FIFA World Cup runner up, twotime copper America winner, twotime FIFA World Cup golden ball winner, 21 goals in 34 World Cup games, second most all time behind Mbappé, and 126 goals and 67 assists in 208 career appearances, [music] which is the second most goals all time behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Don Hutcherson joining us. Jermaine Jones still with us. I'm laughing at him saying I'm talking more than ever because that is what stood out. You never hear this much from Lionel Messi, but it was a very special night. He's left us with some very special memories, Don. This band of brothers, you can see what it means to him. He's now going to be on the sidelines watching the Argentine team. But what memories he left us with, especially in the later stages of his career with Argentina, >> just absolutely amazing. And the way you spoke there, Kay, I was watching Scalonia. I was watching Messi deliver a perfect speech after the game and it's almost like if you're Scaloney, you'd bring him on your coaching staff for the next World Cup because you can see how passionate he is for Argentina. You can see how much he loves them. I'll try and I'll try and die on that Maradona Hill because I idolize Maradona. But when I think of Messi and I think Argentina, I'm glad he won the World Cup. I'm glad he ticked that one off off the box if you like. But I think when I watch him and my memory goes back to him in a Barca shirt under Pep, the guy was just unplayable. He was at the peak of his powers, uh, he could not be stopped. Whether he played wide, whether he played number 10, whether he played number nine, his appetite for the game, the longevity that he's had, how good he was as well, how he lived his life to be a professional footballer um, has to be admired as well. the skill levels, you know, you you talk about the best players that's ever played the game. And depending on what camp you're in, he has to be in that conversation. >> Finishing your career on your own terms, your international career here though, Jermaine, is just what any footballer would hope for, isn't it? >> Oh, yeah. Um, but it it was it was clear that it will come to to the end for him. And I think he's he's he's class. He's not only class on the field. I think you can see it even with the the speech he does he does in in the stadium that um I have a couple friends from Argentina and they say there was always the debate Messi or Maradona because he never won the World Cup and since that is the case that he won it um everybody is like loving him over there and um and I can say I had the privilege to share the field with him against him and what a player um I always try to explain to my kids you guys. I don't know when you will see another guy like him, how he played. Um because it was just un unbelievable what a player he was. >> Tell us a little bit more about that, Jermaine. What it was like to play against him. >> Oh yeah, it's um you know I I always faced him um especially playing as a six when he played more as a 10. I faced him when he played in Barcelona when he came from the sides um with with Shikke. Um he's somebody he's smart. A lot of times people will say when he was at Barcelona he was a little bit younger he was running more um but still on his feet with the ball he's he has a he's a I say this generation of of Messi Aguero um there was Teis they were all a little bit stucky and and strong you were not able to tackle them and but with him he had everything he can pass he can score goals he can go one against one he he sometimes then even he start putting had us in where you think like he's not the biggest but um yeah it was just a mess playing against him but now looking back I'm happy that I had the pleasure to to face face up against him. Yeah, what a privilege. End of an era, Shaq. >> It certainly is. There's no other way to put it. Don mentioned Lena Messi in a Barcelona shirt. When I think of Lena Messi in an Argentina shirt and and in particular what's happened over the last what four years um my mind can't help but go back to 2016 when they lost the Copa America final to Chile and he said then that that he would retire convinced to come out of retirement and from that point on Argentina have just been certainly unstoppable both in comball and and in world football and Lionel Messi was was a key part uh to that want to talk about his his final game and yes I know a friendly against Benin and um his sendoff game, but he's involved in in everything that that's good from Argentina yet again. It's a difficult job to replace him. Um Argentine will have to figure out what life looks like after Lionel Messi, but for right now, let's just enjoy um what his career has has meant over the last couple of decades. [music]