- By Ciaran Varley
- BBC Sport
1 hour ago
Video caption,
Lionel Messi: Destiny documentary trailer
Watch Lionel Messi: Destiny on BBC A single on Saturday, three June at 22:20 GMT, and on BBC iPlayer
A new BBC documentary tells the inside story of how the excellent Lionel Messi ultimately won the Globe Cup.
In an hour-extended film, the BBC delves into that results with input from some of these involved – like players Emiliano Martinez, Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez, and manager Lionel Scaloni.
Right here are a handful of takeaways from Lionel Messi: Destiny…
A sleepless evening followed defeat by Saudi Arabia
Argentina went into the tournament as 1 of the favourites, and on the back of a 36-game unbeaten run.
But their self-assurance was rocked as they lost their opening Group C game two-1 to Saudi Arabia in 1 of the largest Globe Cup shocks of all time.
“It was the hardest evening of my life – I could not sleep,” recalls goalkeeper Martinez. “I was afraid of receiving knocked out of my initial Globe Cup.”
The Aston Villa player, 30, compares the game to a boxing match in which 1 particular person gets knocked out. “We could not fight back,” he says.
Mac Allister played ‘like he was in his back garden’
The 24-year-old flourished alongside Messi, Enzo Fernandez and Angel di Maria.
“He’s a full midfielder,” says former Argentina suitable-back Pablo Zabaleta.
Scaloni is also complete of praise for Mac Allister, saying: “He showed us one thing that we did not know about him – he does not really feel stress.
“It is like he’s playing in his back garden.”
Argentina’s players felt at property in Qatar
Scaloni did a excellent job of building the suitable atmosphere for his players in Qatar – like importing some property comforts.
At the time, it was reported the squad had two,000lbs (900kg) of meat flown more than from South America.
“All the things was great,” says Mac Allister. “It felt like property. We played cards and drank [caffeine rich] mate tea… and even had Argentine meat!”
Zabaleta says these 3 items are “like a religion” for Argentines.
Messi became ‘that poor boy’ against the Netherlands
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Netherlands two-two Argentina highlights
Argentina came by way of a especially fiery quarter-final that featured 18 yellow cards – two of which resulted in the sending-off of Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries.
Right after the final whistle, the Argentina players taunted their opponents, with Martinez – who saved two penalties in the shootout that followed a two-two draw – shouting at Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal.
“I heard Van Gaal saying that in a penalty shootout they had the benefit,” he stated soon after the game. “I feel he requirements to retain his mouth shut.”
Even the commonly mild-mannered Messi took challenge with a comment from Van Gaal, who had stated the Argentina captain did not “participate significantly” when his group lost the ball.
When Messi scored through regular time, he ran straight to the Dutch bench and cupped his ears.
That celebration, as the film explains, was inspired by former group-mate Juan Roman Riquelme, who felt badly treated by Van Gaal at Barcelona.
But lots of had been shocked by this new side to Messi.
“We are additional aggressive than the national group he had prior to,” says Martinez. “He was most likely becoming a tiny bit additional like us – that poor boy.”
Martinez is like ‘a youngster on the pitch’
Martinez was Argentina’s shootout hero after once more in the final as La Albiceleste beat the defending champions.
His antics drew lots of comment, as he threw the ball away, danced, and celebrated in front of France’s players.
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How Martinez’s antics helped Argentina win shootout
Referring to the jig he did soon after Aurelien Tchouameni missed France’s third penalty, he says: “I by no means danced the way I danced soon after the second pen that they missed. Never ever in my life.
“That is me. I am a youngster on the pitch. I do not see what is going to take place subsequent.”
