My ode to the GOAT
While others play prosaically, Messi’s football is pure, transcendent poetry.' A teacher’s moving ode to Lionel Messi, reflecting on his international retirement, the noise of the critics, and the irreplaceable magic of an athlete who didn't just play the sport, but redefined its glory.
You hung your boots and announced your retirement from international football. And honestly, every fan who loves you was hoping this day would never come. We kept hoping you would play one more World Cup, because the way you played at 39 was nothing short of magical.
Throughout the World Cup, the haters were so freaking desperate to discredit you. First, it was the World Cup is rigged. Then, after the final, when Argentina didn’t have their best performance, suddenly you were hardly a good player. As if one final performance — one finale — could somehow erase everything you had done throughout the tournament.
It’s honestly laughable.
You had already completed football four years ago. You had nothing left to prove. And yet, you came back and played at a level that made people who had spent years waiting for your decline lose their minds. They shouted, raged, made excuses and moved the goalposts every time you performed well. And that, more than anything, showed just how shallow their hatred was. They were supporting every team which was playing against Argentina, which clearly showed they have never truly appreciated the sport itself.
Celebrities like you know how to block out the noise. I know you don’t care. And anyone of your stature shouldn’t. But as a commoner, as a fan, it still hurts to watch a great player — and, more importantly, such a good man — receive so much hatred for simply being extraordinary at what he does.
You will always be the GOAT. The sport will only see great players, who are mere humans, but never another alien again. Your talent is unrivalled. What you do on the field is unmatched. As a literature student, I can say, while all the other players play prosaically, your football feels like beautiful poetry.
Not just because of the trophies, the goals, the assists or the records. But because you played football in a way that made the sport itself feel more beautiful. You didn’t just add to the glory of the game; you became a part of its glory. And maybe that is why your retirement hurts so much. This is because players retire. But the person who redefines the sport itself doesn’t come around twice.
Thank you for everything. I’m just proud and glad that I was born in your era, and I could see you play.
I love you, Messi! ❤️
