This time next year, the 47th edition of the Copa America will be reaching its climax, after three weeks spread across two countries, Colombia and Argentina. Note the second of those co-hosts: The stage is set, with even more paralysing pressure than usual, for you know who.
Lionel Messi will turn 33 during the tournament, and, assuming he has not been landed with a disproportionately long ban for inflammatory remarks about organisational "corruption" during the 2019 Copa, or decided to risk his reputation by retiring from national service, it will be a make-or-break month for Messi's legacy as an international footballer. His mixed blessing is to have been Argentina's stand-out superstar through 15 years when Copa Americas took place with haphazard frequency, with "extra" editions in 2016 and 2020. His burden is that Argentina have fallen short of expectations at all five he has competed in.
At each one, the pressure rachets up. Messi in 2016 announced he had reached the end of the road with Argentina after, for the second year in succession, his country lost the final via penalty shoot-out. He reversed that decision, and by last week's semi-final of the 2019 Copa, felt his his team were showing positive signs of the fluency he regards as instinctive as a club footballer at Barcelona. But Argentina were beaten 2-0 by a pragmatic Brazil, who went on to win the final against Peru.
Messi, normally so discreet in front of a microphone, erupted. “This tournament has been set up in Brazil’s favour,” he complained, citing contentious refereeing decisions. In Saturday’s third place play-off, where Argentina beat Chile, Messi was sent off - severely - after a clash with Chile captain Gary "Pitbull" Medel. He did not pick up his bronze medal, but left a powerful souvenir in the interview zone: “We don’t have to be part of this corruption,” he said, “and the lack of respect we’ve been shown in this tournament.”
-
Argentina's Lionel Messi and Chile's Gary Medel are both shown a red card during the third-place play-off. AFP -
Argentina's Sergio Aguero, left, watches teammate Messi leaving the field after his red card. AP Photo -
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - JULY 06: Players of Argentina and Chile argue with referee Mario Diaz de Vivar after showing Messi and Medel their red cards. Getty -
Argentina players with their third-place medals post-match. Messi refused to attend the ceremony. -
Messi and Chile's Medel clash. AP Photo -
Messi, second left, looks on after teammate Sergio Aguero scored his side's opening goal against Chile. AP Photo -
Messi, and Chile's Gary Medel, second from left, scuffle in the incident that led to red cards for the pair. AP Photo -
Messi fights for the ball with Arturo Vidal of Chile. Getty -
Messi leaves the field after being sent off. AP Photo -
Chile's Gary Medel, left, and Argentina's Lionel Messi, centre, protest to referee Mario Diaz after both of them were sent off. AP Photo -
Messi and Medel tussle off the ball in the incident that led to their red cards. AP Photo -
Messi looks on in shock after being sent off. AP Photo -
Messi departs the pitch after his red card. AP Photo
At the same moment Messi was sharing his irate views, another superstar examined the wreckage of a tournament gone awry. The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations had seemed geared towards the coronation of Mohamed Salah, until, before 75,000 disbelieving spectators in Cairo, Salah's Egypt crashed out at the last 16 stage, beaten 1-0 by a South Africa strategically savvy about how to thwart opponents channeling their tactics around their Liverpool lodestar.
For Africa’s finest footballer, as for South America’s, this has not been an edifying month. Salah, 25, looks at Messi’s struggles with Argentina and will see the parallels: To excel, week after week in a brilliant club team, as both do, is to set standards that map awkwardly onto the landscape of international football, where playing routines can never be as well-grooved and the quality of your teammates cannot be elevated by casting big cheques into the transfer market.
There are other responsibilities, as the figurehead of a country's most loved sport. Words and actions are scrutinised. While Messi’s complaints in Brazil found some favour among Argentinians frustrated by refereeing at the Copa and by VAR, his unusually vocal behaviour as captain drew criticism. The River Plate manager, Marcelo Gallardo, tipped to take over the national team, said: “I don’t know if it was his idea to speak up, but he shouldn’t have done it like that. He took charge, yes, but it leaves him exposed.”
-
Egypt's Mahmoud Hassan, left, reacts after a missed scoring opportunity saved by South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams during the Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match. AP Photo -
Egypt's Mohamed Salah, left, and Amr Warda react after losing the Africa Cup of Nations last-16 match against South Africa. AP Photo -
South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams catches the ball during the match against Egypt. AP Photo -
South Africa's Bongani Zungu, left, tussles for the ball with Egypt's Mohamed Elneny. AP Photo -
South Africa players celebrate after beating Egypt to reach the 2019 Afcon quarter-finals. Getty Images -
South Africa's Thembinkosi Lorch is challenged by Walid Soliman of Egypt. EPA -
Mohamed Salah reacts after Thembinkosi Lorch scores South Africa's first goal. Reuters -
South Africa's Thembinkosi Lorch scores the only goal of the game. AP Photo -
South Africa players celebrate after scoring the decisive goal against Egypt. AP Photo -
Egypt's Mohamed Salah, left, and South Africa's Sandile Hlanti run for the ball. AP Photo -
Mohamed Salah is marked by South Africa midfielder Dean Furman. AFP -
Egypt's Amr Warda in action against South Africa's Dean Furman. Reuters
In Egypt, where the hosting of the Cup of Nations was supposed to show off Egypt's openness after a period of political and social instability, Salah has been criticised for overstepping a boundary. His endorsement of Amr Warda's recall to the squad after the Egyptian Football Association had suspended Warda because of allegations the player sexually harassed women online struck a wrong note for many of the striker's admirers. Salah lobbied hard for Warda to be given what Salah called "a second chance".
After Egypt's failure on the field, the head of the Egyptian FA, Hany Abu Reida quit and manager Javier Aguirre was sacked. Salah will remain the most important figure in the country's football for a long while yet. But he will be wiser about the demands that brings, and counts up the reduced number of opportunities he has left to guide Egypt to a significant title.
Salah, like Messi, came close to winning an international tournament - in 2017 - but finished second in the Cup of Nations. The follow-up, on home soil, has been a flop. As with Messi, the better he performs with his club, the more his national side are tempted to shape the tactics around him, making them more easy to second-guess.
Meanwhile, Brazil are the new champions of South America, having mastered the pressures of being tournament hosts. Watching from the sidelines, their most celebrated modern footballer, the Brazilian equivalent of Messi or Salah. Neymar, out with an injury missed the whole Copa America. So nothing he said, or failed to achieve on the field, could turn into a suffocating distraction.
