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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Michael Butler

Lionel Messi takes centre stage in Argentina’s organic outpouring of joy

Lionel Messi lifts the World Cup alongside his teammates in Buenos Aires.
‘A moment full of togetherness’: Lionel Messi lifts the World Cup alongside teammates and their family members in Buenos Aires. Photograph: Agustín Marcarian/Reuters

You would be forgiven for missing it last Thursday evening, amid the excitement of England’s win in Italy or the sacking of Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich, but there was a brief moment, captured in Buenos Aires, where football turned its best trick, creating a moment so full of togetherness that one felt grateful just to watch, even if it was on a laptop or a phone a few thousand miles away.

Argentina started the international break with a friendly against Panama, the first game since their World Cup triumph, but the actual match served just as an excuse for a rousing pre-match sing-song, where fans bellowed out “Muchachos” into the ether at the Estadio Monumental.

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