It took 36 years for Argentina to lift the World Cup again. It took 36 years for Lionel Messi to recreate the iconic moment of Diego Maradona holding the cup while riding the winning wave on the shoulders of his peers and loved ones.
It is for now and forever that Messi has etched his name in the history books but it took years for him to reach his mark. The Argentinian team saw a massive shuffle and revamp after their exit from the 2018 edition of the World Cup in Russia.
Under the tutelage of Lionel Scaloni, the team management infused young blood and held onto a few senior figures to balance the squad. Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, and Enzo Fernandez are a few of the names that came in with youth by their side and added more pace to the game.
Among these new additions, the two players who have left everyone impressed are Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United employ their services respectively in the Premier League.
Only six years ago, both these players were barely discovered and were playing in Argentinian clubs away from the limelight of the Premier League. In a photo that surfaced after the World Cup final, Lisandro and Romero are seen in their respective club jerseys back in 2016.
2016: Newell's Reserves v Belgrano Reserves 2022: Playing FIFA at 6AM after winning the World Cup pic.twitter.com/PAXgHhaY1P
The picture is of a reserve game between Newell Old Boys and Belgrano FC. Lisandro wearing the Newell jersey while Romero is in Belgrano colours.
This clearly shows the journey of two young defenders who broke ranks to fulfill the dream of a nation.
Martinez was instrumental in the matches before the final but Romero’s work rate on the big day was second to none. It was only natural that after lifting the coveted trophy and partying late into the night, the duo wanted to cool off the adrenaline rush.
It was almost impossible to do so. This is where Romero and Martinez decided to engage in a game of FIFA 23 early in the morning after winning the World Cup. In a video posted by teammate Nahuel Molina, Martinez and Romero are wearing shades while playing FIFA and look immersed in the game.
Martinez is seen waving back to Molina, signalling that he’s the one winning the game of FIFA.
This was surely a unique way of continuing the celebrations. None of them wanted to sleep it off. After all, this was the biggest night of their career and they could have done anything to see it go on — like with a game of FIFA.
Nevertheless, it’s great to see two young stalwarts competing in a game of FIFA after winning the trophy that had eluded Messi for long.
