Lionel Messi’s Argentina career turned football into a sacred mystery

That ambition was fulfilled during a brilliant international career that ended this week “What Argentina is doing in this World Cup is of a sacred order,” Brazilian writer Milly Lacombe posted at the height of the tide of anti-Argentinian sentiment during this year’s tournament. How is it possible that Messi was not speaking out against the racist incidents we all saw around the Argentina team, she asked. Benin were mocked by some as unworthy, and even Lionel Scaloni made reference to a desire to face bigger opponents than Bolivia and Burkina Faso, the other teams Argentina played this window.