FIFA World Cup: Messi immortalises legacy, Morocco make history and brand Qatar grows despite criticism

Doha: And so at the golden basket of a stadium in the north of the Qatari capital the denouement of the World Cup, the first in the Arab world, one that flew by with a heavily congested schedule and matches played out at glitzy, state-of-the-art venues in a compact city, was of a beguiling, unsurpassed intensity and quality. Here, at last, Lionel Messi’s career attained fulfillment, his consecration and coronation complete, stepping out of Diego Maradona’s shadow with an ultimate twilight-career conquest.

He was immortalized, undoubtedly claiming his place in the pantheon of the gods. He toppled hat-trick hero Kylian Mbappe, Pele’s heir in waiting, following France’s superb comeback. And so, Messi, in a bisht draped around his shoulders by the Emir of Qatar, lifted the World Cup, surrounded by delirious teammates.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi lifts the trophy after winning the FIFA World Cup final match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium. AP

For FIFA and hosts Qatar, these images were priceless. The high-octane, helter-skelter final was the global TV spectacular they had hoped for, the one that drowned out all the relentless criticism at the address of the world federation and the host nation. It was the ultimate battle between two superpowers and two world stars, unyielding and relentless in their quest for eternal glory. Before the trophy presentation, Messi yelled ‘Argentina, concha de tu madre’! (Argentina, motherfucker!). Who cared about migrant workers and the LGBT community now?

This final and tournament were the ultimate PR victory for Qatar, an operatic final staged on the host nation’s independence day, replete with superlative football, endless sporting threads and narratives, and fireworks. Romance had won through Messi’s victory and Qatar had won after building to this moment for 12 years, becoming a geopolitical power and gaining national security through the magic of football cathedrals and the relentless chaos of the world’s most popular sport. It seemed Messi’s destiny to win, even after that Saudi Arabia defeat, one of the all-time great World Cup upsets. Perhaps, after Mbappe’s otherworldly equaliser, Argentina, a team seemingly always on the verge of emotional collapse, should have lost and they didn’t. This was the final that kept on giving, the tournament that kept on giving.

Read: Lionel Messi etches himself into footballing folklore as Argentina lift title

On 20 November, Ecuador schooled the hosts Qatar in the curtain raiser, a defeat that local fans did not appreciate, storming out of the stadium early, except for their hired fans. It was a prelude to the action-packed group stage, a conveyor belt of drama that only the World Cup can provide – the Green Falcons in full flight, the Japanese with their extraordinary capacity to switch gear, the pitiful German exit as well as the departure of the lamentable Belgians and the sensational drama of Ghana avenging 2010 by eliminating Uruguay and themselves.

And so, it meant that all confederations had representatives in the round of sixteen. Did this imply a levelling of the playing field? Europe, the economic force, and South America, the spiritual home of the game, still dominated the latter stages of the tournament, but Morocco became the story in Qatar, almost but not just yet eclipsing the all-consuming storyline of Messi’s date with destiny. Led by the headstrong Walid Regragui, the Atlas Lions stormed to the last four in their very own, compelling fashion, the first ever African country to do so.

They defended and then defended some more, but with great discipline and a displayed flair when attacking. Morocco eliminated the Iberian powerhouses and Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakami and Yasssine Bounou, with his boyish features and brilliant saves, were new stars, heroes to an entire continent – and the entire Arab world. Morocco’s success spotlighted questions of cultural identity. By the time of Morocco and Bounou’s exit from the tournament, the World Cup, in particular after the last eight, had once again, almost, reverted to type. This was no playground for school kids.

But it mattered little. Even before the showpiece match at Lusail, the World Cup was once again the terrain of those who had been there before – but magic prevailed on the ground. On the micro level, this was indeed the key legacy: the World Cup needed a winner from outside the European continent and so more competition. Angel Di Maria could no longer resist all the drama and burst into tears.

On a micro level, it was difficult to not appreciate a South American victory. Football needed a winner from outside Europe. On a larger level, this tournament once and for all should have compelled FIFA to consider human rights, going forward. But Zurich still operates as a cartel, dealing and wheeling in luxury hotels without scrutiny and without accountability

The outside world – we addressed it – has however hardly noticed. FIFA supremo Infantino was loudly jeered in Lusail. Towards the end of the trophy presentation, it seemed that the Emir of Qatar had to remind Infantino that this moment was not about him. Infantino has a hard time understanding when it’s not about him. But the boos and the jeers suggested that football will not tolerate the current FIFA boss and that the direction the game has taken is wrong. Fans and the football community at large simply want their game back.

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