Lionel Messi smiled when asked about meeting Spain in the final of the World Cup on Sunday. “I have faced many of them, and I still follow them. Several of them play for Barcelona, a club I love and continue to follow.”
For nearly 15 years, Messi was the heartbeat of Barcelona, its philosophy distilled into a human figure, the most celebrated footballer in Spain, and the only one Spain wished could be one of their own.
Before the start of his career, Spain’s football federation even deliberated on coaxing him to switch allegiance to Spain. But Messi, even in his teenage years, was firm. He would turn up only for Argentina, although he had left Rosario, his hometown, when he was 12, adapted to life in Barcelona and was as Spanish as his teammates.