On the eve of Britain’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, a sell-out crowd are descending upon Wembley to witness their own king in action.
Italy and Argentina are contesting the first Finalissima – an exhibition match between the champions of Europe and South America – in almost 30 years.
It certainly feels more important than your average end-of-season encounter. While it may be lacking in tear gas and Camilla Cabello, the Finalissima does feel like a prestigious occasion.
It doesn’t hurt that Italy and Argentina are two of the most storied nations in world football. From Claudio Gentile’s rigorous man-marking job on Diego Maradona in 1982 to Maradona’s revenge in Naples eight years later, these clashes have gifted us with some indelible memories.
Argentina have never won at Wembley and their fans are here in their thousands. From men in Boca Juniors shirts looking around the Tate Modern to a group from Mendoza tying their country’s flag to Millennium Bridge, they seem determined to make this a memorable experience.
In the end, Argentines outnumbered Italians at Wembley by around two to one, with a healthy smattering of neutrals to boot.
But the vast majority in attendance had one word on their lips: ‘Messi’. And their king didn’t disappoint.
Messi
The greatest footballer of his generation, and arguably of all-time, Lionel Messi will be 35 later this month and scored only 11 goals in an underwhelming first season at PSG.
Messi recently explained that his form suffered after contracting Covid in January but there have been numerous hints of decline from his almost non-existent running stats to his bewilderment as PSG shat the bed against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
There’s also something less tangible, a sense that the magic is perhaps beginning to fade. Of course, even a reduced Messi is far superior to almost anybody else, but PSG are basing their future around Kylian Mbappe rather than the Argentina captain.
The relentless…
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