Mates, mate and freedom - how Argentina got the best out of Messi

Published 15 July 2026, 03:05 BST Updated 1 hour ago There was a moment, after Argentina came back from 2-0 down to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, when Lionel Messi simply could not stop crying. There was a touch of celebration but also something more raw than that. He had already cried once this tournament, after he heard of a complication with his father's health following the opening match. This time, his tears came from relief. Not from escaping defeat against Egypt, but relief he hadn't let his team-mates down after missing a penalty that, for a while, threatened to end Argentina's tournament. For Messi right now, the emotions arrive tangled together: relief, pressure, family, the crowd, team-mates who love him and want - more than anything - to see him win again. This may be his last World Cup. Then again, who knows. But somewhere in the middle of all that rollercoaster there is also enormous happiness for a man who has finally found the perfect context, a football team built to his measure. All for one and one for all. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni put it best before the Switzerland quarter-final. "The best moments of all, by far, are celebrations of the group. I coach for this, not because I like a 4-3-3," he said. "I like drinking mate [a South American tea] with my friends and players, sharing a barbecue, playing truco [a card game], as we have always done." It could have been Messi speaking. He is stretching his career out for more of these moments. In doing so he has become, again, something close to the young man who left Rosario - deeply Argentine, surrounded by mates and mate, having rediscovered under Scaloni the pleasure of competing alongside people who think like him. Make no mistake this Argentina squad is built around Messi. It's built to give the 39-year-old the best chance of winning a second successive World Cup. England v Argentina Fifa World Cup 2026 semi-final 15 July, 20:00 BST Watch on iPlayer Listen on Sounds Watch live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 19:00 BST. Listen to build-up and full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 18:00 BST. Follow TV and radio coverage, plus live text updates, in-play video clips, post-match highlights and analysis on the BBC Sport website and app. Why do Argentina sing about England and the Falklands? Published 15 hours ago Walked for 47% of the World Cup - the evolution of Messi Published 19 hours ago Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Rodrigo de Paul has become close friends with Lionel Messi De Paul friendship and a 'gang protecting its leader' Rodrigo de Paul has become, in this Argentina squad, what Jose Manuel Pinto once was at Barcelona, or Luis Suarez later became: the team-mate with whom Messi instantly feels at home. Their bond was forged on international duty. Until then, the midfielder's only connection to Messi had been asking for a photo after a Valencia–Barcelona match, which he proudly posted on social media. One afternoon, he noticed