When the final whistle of the World Cup final blew, the stadium's giant screen lingered on Messi's reddened eyes. Spain were about to lift the trophy, while Messi was left alone to bear the weight of missing out on a successful title defence — much like France four years ago, when they came so close but ultimately could not lay their hands on the cup.
Tears rolled down the face of the Argentine star. At 39, Messi has already said goodbye to the World Cup. As much as he has repeatedly pushed the limits of what a footballer can do, it is almost impossible to imagine him wearing Argentina's sky-blue and white again when the next World Cup is jointly hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal in four years' time.
The disappointment of seeing the trophy so close yet out of reach clearly overwhelmed him. But perhaps he was also frustrated by his own display. In a match that stretched longer than usual, he was rarely seen. Neither in normal time nor extra time did he produce the brilliance of old — Spain's marking of him was close to perfect — despite having delivered an outstanding tournament beforehand, with 8 goals and 4 assists.
He cried, fully aware of what was missing. The tears came freely, his eyes bloodshot. Around the stadium, people looked at the giant screen showing a hero suddenly brought down from his pedestal, then turned their gaze away slightly — perhaps uneasily — as a player who had given the world so many dreams seemed to reach his ending in such sorrowful fashion.
Unless, perhaps, this ending belongs to a child who loves football — a child who bursts into tears after losing a match, just as he once did as a little boy in Rosario. It was as if time had never changed.