The farewell of Lionel Messi from the Argentinian National Team began to take shape long before his decision was publicly known. However, the confirmation of the end of his cycle mobilized those who shared with him the most successful years of the Albiceleste. Among them was Matías Manna, a collaborator of Lionel Scaloni, who dedicated an extensive letter on social media to him and focused on an aspect that, in his view, will transcend the titles: his way of understanding football.
With just over three weeks until what will be his last match with the national team in the country, against Benin on October 6 at the Estadio Monumental, Manna reviewed some of the phrases that Messi usually conveys during matches and that, for him, reflect a particular way of interpreting the game.
"Leo, I like to hear how you feel the game: 'Now we make 10 passes and the goal comes, calm down. Let's play'", wrote the tactical analyst, before recalling another reflection from the captain about the journey taken during Scaloni's cycle: "‘We found midfielders who had been playmakers, we started to lose few balls in the middle, long possessions, and from there, we became strong’. 'We became ourselves again'".
For Manna, this journey should not be reduced to the titles won or Messi's individual records. On the contrary, he considered that an essential part of his legacy is linked to the football identity that the National Team managed to develop during this process.
In this sense, he stated: "On this FIFA date of your farewell, your legacy (among many others), I hope is that the Argentinian National Team represents that way of playing, that style. Thank you for being a flag bearer so that this process (2019-2026) has that stamp".
