World Cup 2022, the Pulce’s astonishing performance against Croatia continues to be a topic of discussion
Some couldn’t help but think of him and his famous commentary last night as Lionel Messi dispensed magic with the ball between his feet. Proving that he is at last the worthy heir to Diego Armando Maradona, of whom Hugo Morales was the main singer during Argentina’s mythological ride in Mexico ’86.
Morales, if you haven’t guessed yet, is the man of the ‘cosmic barrilete’. An expression that the Argentine journalist coined specifically to describe what has gone down in history as the most beautiful goal ever. We are talking about the goal that Diego scored in the famous Argentina-England match at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City. Maradona started from midfield and ran 60 metres with the ball on his feet in less than 10 seconds, dribbling past anyone who tried to take the ball away from him. It was an emotion impossible to describe.
Although, many years after those Maradonian feats, Morales confessed to having experienced similar ones during yesterday’s match between the Albiceleste and Croatia.
World Cup 2022, Morales: ‘Diego is God and Messi the Messiah’
Speaking to the microphones of Calciomercato.it on TvPlay, Morales revealed his feelings in front of Messi’s sensational performance which helped take Argentina to the final, where they will face Kylian Mbappé’s France on Sunday.
“We know what Maradona means to football for all of us,” said the South American writer and commentator, “but Messi is exciting me a lot, he is the continuation of Diego. Messi continues the legend of everything Diego did. It is a blessing from God for Argentine football to have had these two talented and imaginative players who have given this great popularity to world football. Maradona is god and Messi is Jesus, the messiah: around Messi play the apostles’.
Without any fear, therefore, of being accused of blasphemy. One of the many accusations levelled at RAI commentator Lele Adani in these days. Who is certainly no less when he has to describe what Messi is up to on the playing field.
‘I am in love with the comedies of Goldoni and Harlequin,’ Morales continues, ‘Harlequin is a man who amuses and who looks for the lie that in football is necessary to achieve what Messi did. Run, stop, run again, go to one side, do the feint and escape between the defender and the goal line. Lying is an art form, football is about playing imaginatively against opponents. Messi and Maradona are fascinating and invite imagination. “