First, he sank to the ground, grimacing. Play continued for a few seconds and then came the communal gasp. Lionel Messi was down... Messi was sobbing. The tears were for the moment Argentina needed him; they always do but it was impossible to abstract them from the wider context.
The mood music around the Argentina camp has suggested that it might be his last major tournament, period. He will be 38 when the next World Cup starts in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and will turn 39 during the tournament.
Stopping is never an appealing prospect for any sportsperson. Athletes die twice, they say. Messi's incredible longevity and continued excellence has been an effective shield against retirement talk but no[o]
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