New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) Ahead of the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, former All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Shaji Prabhakaran backed Lionel Messi’s enduring influence on the reigning champions, describing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the team’s “driving force” and “uniting force”.
Speaking exclusively to IANS on Messi’s legacy, Argentina’s evolution and the criticism surrounding the South American giants during the tournament, Prabhakaran said the captain remains central to the team’s success both on and off the pitch. While acknowledging Argentina’s rich footballing history, Prabhakaran insisted that Messi’s current World Cup campaign has further elevated his stature.
“With Messi, Argentina now only gets bigger in terms of what it is because, definitely, Argentina has a bigger football legacy, and they have won three World Cups, and only one with Messi; that was the last one, and (Diego) Maradona was one of the biggest legacies for them previously. Now, with Messi playing in his third final and a chance to win a second consecutive World Cup for Argentina, that legacy will be unmatched in many ways,” Prabhakaran told IANS.
Despite Argentina’s history of producing footballing greats, Prabhakaran believes Messi remains the defining figure of the current side because of the influence he exerts throughout a match.
“Therefore, today if we see the performance of Argentina team, Messi is the dominating factor; he is one who is dictating the game and who is making the biggest influence on the game and all the games that we have seen so far. He has scored eight goals, but then more than eight goals, he has made an influential impact to make the difference in the game and the result, and that is what we have experienced against England even, his two assists that resulted in Argentina winning the semi-final and getting through to the final for the second consecutive time,” he added.
According to Prabhakaran, Messi’s greatest contribution extends beyond goals and assists. He said the Argentine captain inspires those around him to raise their own standards.
“Messi is definitely the bigger aspect for Argentina but then he unites Argentina like never before and that is the spirit he kind of drives in the team which leads up to that performance because Messi alone cannot win the game but then what he brings together everyone with one energy, one goal, one vision, and he is the driving force and he is the uniting force, and that is where players are giving more than 100% seeing Messi and what he is capable of doing, and that every second it encourages; it motivates the teammates, and that is where they go all out to make Argentina win,” Prabhakaran stated.
Argentina’s run to the final has also been accompanied by criticism on social media, with some questioning their style of play and making allegations about the manner of their victories. Prabhakaran, however, dismissed such narratives as a by-product of the digital age.
“It’s in the social media era; this is what happens. Everyone’s success is followed by people, and they get jealous of what it is. Therefore, I don’t read much into it because it is a game which is a complete open book. Therefore, this is all rivalry that comes into play, namely the creation of social media, because that is where things that are not even facts get amplified,” he opined.
He argued that performances on the field ultimately determine success, not online speculation, saying, “And that’s a fact because they are to score a goal. Nobody can put a chip to get the goal inside, right? You have to score; you have to work hard to score a goal. Therefore, it is not that somebody else is coming and throwing that ball into the goal and the opposition is being tied to something, right?”
Prabhakaran added that many of the allegations surrounding Argentina have little basis in reality and are driven more by personal loyalties than evidence. “So, that way it is unnecessary to create something out of nowhere, and those are all fiction rather than realities. That is what my experience suggests, and therefore nothing in it, but it is, again, that somebody wants Messi and Argentina to succeed, and somebody doesn’t. Therefore, you have to come up with stories and certain aspects that have hardly any truth to them.”
As Argentina prepare to defend the title, Prabhakaran believes the spotlight will once again fall on Messi, not only because of his footballing brilliance, but because of the leadership and belief he instils in the team around him.
–IANS
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