Messi’s birthday: the ritual with the National Team and a celebration that could be historic :: Olé

Once again, but perhaps it could be the last National Team dress, although the planet wants there to be a last dance in 2026. Lionel Messi turns 37 years and the world revolves around them. This June 24, 2024 will be a study day for metrics specialists: We will have to study how many photos and messages appear on different social networks, tagging the @leomessi account.

Lionel will be wearing National Team clothing again: since he first set foot on the Ezeiza property in June 2004 (It remains to be seen if he was in Rosario on that 17th birthday, traveling from Spain or meeting his teammates from the Sub 20) 20 years passed and in 11 of them He was concentrated or training to play in the U20 World Cup, Copa América or World Cups. But this celebration will have a peculiarity: Leo will repeat the city, something that only happens with Rosario, Barcelona or Buenos Aires.

New Jersey, which offers the best views of Manhattan, will once again have the best player’s birthday in its city of this century and perhaps the best in history. Leo’s memory of the previous one is not complete: it was two days before the final with Chile at the Metlife, in 2016that match that ended in defeat and resignation. These are no longer times for questioning or criticism. Today is all happiness. And this is how he lives it on the 10th, when he will begin the birthday with his colleagues, but throughout the day he will surely have the chance to receive Antonela, her children, her parents and siblings.

Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini was born on June 24, 1987 at 4:20 p.m. at the Italian Garibaldi Hospital in the same city where the Argentine flag was born and he lived there for his first 13 years, but since 2005, which he spent playing (and winning) the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, until now in this Copa América, 20 cakes have passed. And when Leo searches his photo album, he will find few close to his own due to his constant commitment to the Argentine National Team.: in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2022 and 2023 and a mixed year, which was not concentrated but was on the eve of the 2011 Copa América (it was done in our country), although the tradition of the pull He had a great time with family and friends.

Enschede, Leipzig, Maracaibo, Pretoria, Porto Alegre, La Serena, New Jersey, Bronnitsy, Rio de Janeiro and New Jersey. These 10 cities have something in common: they are the places where Leo celebrated with the National Team. From the Under 20 World Cup in Holland 2005 to this Copa América 2024, 19 years have passed. Leo was away from Argentina for 10 times, but we must tell one very special one: the one from 2021. In the middle of the pandemic and focused on the Copa América, he spent it at the Ezeiza facility.

It began on June 24, 2021 and in the first seconds his companions entered the room: De Paul, with a candle and a mini cake, was the first to burst in to the rhythm of “May you celebrate Leito.” The last celebration before breaking the drought and taking off the backpack was with a barbecue and many internal jokes, with gifts from each of his teammates, led by his friend Kun Agüero, but also by Rodrigo himself, Paredes, Lo Celso and several others.

Once again he will be surrounded by several of the same people as in 2021, but with the small detail that, as he expressed in Lusail, “that’s it, that’s it.” Of course, with the three Olympic laps in a row, in the Maracaná, in London and in Qatar, now he is going for more, but without the heavy backpack. The wish he will make is more sung than “boys” because the 10 wants another round, he dreams of the bi. The wish of all Argentines is that it is not the last birthday spent with the National Team: The hope that he will play in the 2026 World Cup is latent because Leo was not definitive and what happens in this Cup will be key… For another photo for the collection with the cake, dressed in light blue and white, but in 2026…

Messi knows about crazy things around him, about fantastic events on his birthday. But the strangest thing that happened to him was in Bronnitsy, in the Russia World Cup 2018: in front of the National Team concentration. About a thousand local fans gathered with the Belskoe lake in the background, to give rise to a party (something similar to a kermes), in which the center of attention was a cake statue, with the exact figure of Leo (170 centimeters and 69 kilos, his measurements) made entirely of chocolate dough and they even imitated his tattoos!

At 18 years oldposed for Ole in Enschede (Holland), in the Under 20 World Cup in 2005, one day before playing the quarterfinals against Spain. He wished out loud: “Become champion with Argentina.” He made it!

The 19 years celebrated them in Leipzig (Germany): he came on 7′ ​​in the 2-1 draw against Mexico, in the round of 16 of the World Cup 2006. They wrongly disallowed a goal.

In its 20th birthdayOlé brought him a cake in Maracaibo (Venezuela), in the middle of Copa America 2007. As in 2006, he shared the celebration with Juan Román Riquelme (born on the same day, in 18).

The 23 years They were in Pretoria (South Africa World Cup 2010). He had just made his debut as captain, against Greece, with Diego Maradona as coach.

Porto Alegre (Brazil) was revolutionized with its presence in the World Cup 2014: 27 yearsprior to the duel against Nigeria, to close Group F.

In 2015the 28 years again they came with the National Team, in La Serena (Chile), in another Copa América.

To the 29 yearsin New Jersey (United States), two days before the final of the Copa America 2016Leo was protesting against a chaotic AFA.

The 31 years they played him in Bronnitsy (Russia World Cup 2018), between differences with Sampaoli, after the 0-3 against Croatia.

The 32 years He started them in Porto Alegre after beating Venezuela and advancing to the quarterfinals, in the Copa América in Brazil 2019and he finished them in Rio de Janeiro, with a cake in the concentration.

The 3. 4 He spent years on the Ezeiza property, in that particular bubble mode that existed during the pandemic. He was only able to celebrate with his colleagues, who gave him a barbecue and several private gifts, such as a “jerrycan.” The best, a few days later with the return to the Maracaná.

And now, the 37 yearsin the absolute happiness that being a world champion gives him, finds him the best-known person on the planet and with the hope of getting one more title, the Copa America 2024.