3.5/5
“This could be my last World Cup. My entire career has led to this one moment. Every Match won. Every Defeat. Every Goal.”

“I never imagined that my career would turn out the way it did and it would end like this. After all I’m just a kid who loves to play ball”.
There are a multitude of football documentaries available for viewers to watch on their TV screens as there is a sea of content is a tough act. APPLE TV’s Messi’s World Cup: The rise of legend, has managed this with a moving account of the best and most famous player the game has ever known but it is slow to start.
This four part examination of Messi’s World Cup career not only examines his redemptive and glorious achievement of captaining the Argentina side to success in Qatar in 2022, but also his sometimes fraught journey in the national side that finally culminated in him becoming a global phenomenon. In flashbacks the Series shows how Messi’s career in the national side and his status as the world’s best player were always a subject for debate before these questions were finally answered in the desert heat of Qatar.

The programme skilfully shows how the shy kid from Rosario who left home aged 13 to join Barcelona and who made his Argentina debut in 2004 at 17, where he scored on his debut, was always compared to national hero Diego Maradona.
“I always said Diego was the best, that he was a unique player and I would never compare myself to him”, said the young Messi.
Argentina’s World Cup legacy and indeed its soul was wrapped up in its 1986 win, captained by the legend Maradona. Diego Maradona was Messi’s hero and he wore the famous number 10 shirt not only out of idolisation, but because he wanted to emulate his status and achievements on the World Cup stage. This took its toll as tournament after tournament went by and success remained elusive. This pressure even resulted in Messi briefly retiring in 2016, before returning to the fold and equalling Maradona’s achievement of World Cup glory.
The other debate discussed in the APPLE TV Series is that while Messi’s club career had put him in the group of best players ever, without a World Cup to his name he would never be number one. Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been Messi’s rival for the title over the last 15 years achieved success with Portugal in the 2016 Euros and for some had eclipsed Messi. Gary Lineker was in no doubt, “ I think that Messi is the greatest but he can’t be considered as good as Maradona unless he wins a World Cup”.
This Series subtly intertwines these themes through each episode so that the stakes for Messi, because of his status, seem higher than for anyone else. As he says himself, “This could be my last World Cup. My entire career has led to this one moment. Every Match won. Every Defeat. Every Goal.
This Documentary has an impressive array of talking heads ranging from past managers, teammates and pundits, who add texture and insight to Messi’s World Cup journey.

The scene is set in Episode One with Messi staring into space on the bus as he is on his way to his final World Cup. His hopes and dreams are written all over his face, where fate and destiny await him. It’s not lost on his teammates either, with midfielder Endo Fernandez stating “The team has always had the sense of wanting to win it for Leo, who had given so much to all Argentinians and to all of us as a team as well.”
Their first game was not an auspicious start, losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia even though Messi
had scored the opening goal from the penalty spot. Was this tournament going to be another false dawn? As Messi says, “It is never easy losing your first match. Your head gets full of doubts. It was a hard blow for us to start that way”. This loss is interspersed with footage of Messi making his debut in the 2006 World Cup, where although they were eliminated he had attained his dream of representing his country.

The second installment begins the morning after the loss where Messi’s teammates are freaking out and losing confidence. The captain remains calm and this gives the team motivation to put it right and gain some momentum in their must win next match against Mexico. With Buenos Aires footage of the nervous fans back home cut with the action on the pitch, a Messi inspired win against a resolute defensive-minded Mexican team put Argentina back on course to progress out of their group. The episode closes with the 2-0 win against Poland to win the group stage and then the belief beginning to build with a tight 2-1 win against Australia in the last 16.

The penultimate segment juxtaposes Messi’s 2014 World Cup experience, where his club career was flying but his international one falling short with the Quarter final clash with the Netherlands. Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany in the 2014 final but a penalty shootout win in the 2022 quarter finals and a comfortable 3-0 win in the semi’s against Croatia had given Messi the chance to banish his demons and prove all his doubters wrong.

The last episode shows the titanic clash with France in the final, which many people believed was the best ever, and adds extra drama by comparing french superstar Mbappe to Messi. For Messi a loss would not only leave his legacy unfulfilled but for many would crown Mbappe as the best player in the world. Argentina’s and Messi’s eventful triumph is movingly told in this documentary that is sympathetic to the kid growing up dreaming of World Cup glory.
The series features personal interviews with the great man himself as well as teammates, competitors, fans, coaches and commentators that help to show the influence that Messi has had on his nation and the world. At heart though, Messi’s World Cup is a personal story of drive, dreams and redemption on the greatest stage of all.
All four episodes of Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend premieres exclusively on Apple TV+ from Wednesday, February 21st.
Be First to Comment