We're off to the Wanda to see Leo Messi in action!
If any of you happen to live in Madrid or close to the capital and have some spare time this evening, then you have a golden opportunity to attend the Wanda Metropolitano and watch Lionel Messi in action. As you know it's an Argentina-Venezuela friendly game and the first time Messi will pull on the national team shirt since the disappointment of the Russia World Cup. There has always been a little something missing between Messi and the "Albiceleste" with the player failing to hit the heady heights when wearing the sky blue and white stripes as opposed to wearing the claret and navy stripes. Rarely will we all be afforded such an excellent opportunity to see Messi in action with still plenty of tickets available at the box office.
Friendly game
Modern international football has a habit of throwing up these quirky fixtures which not so long ago would have been deemed an extravagance. What are Argentina and Venezuela doing playing in Madrid thousand of miles from their homelands? I guess it's down to the whims of those who run the game but it makes sense in one way given that the bulk of players involved in this game ply their trades with European clubs. Spain also boasts large Venezuelan and Argentinean communities which will help pack the stadium and holding a game of this nature here fourty years ago would have been a nonsense. In the same way that citizens of Madrid could enjoy the second leg of the Copa Libertadores at the Bernabéu late last year, tonight we have a great chance to watch Messi at close quarters.
Maradona
It appears that the 'Albiceleste' shirt sits heavy on Messi's shoulders and that given that he moved to Barcelona at such a young age there are many Argentinian's who don't see him as one of their own. He's constantly compared to Diego Maradona given that they both have the same small stature, wavy hair, are left footed, wear the No.10 shirt and are both truly gifted players. Many Maradona devotees however see Messi as an unworthy heir to the throne. There is no question that when Messi plays, he defies science and constantly amazes us, he is capable of creating such beauty on the pitch and enriches the game with a nobility that provokes deep joy. And tonight he's playing at the Wanda Metropolitano.