It was a moment that Lionel Messi had imagined all his life, and he has long had pictures of it in his head, they just might not have looked much like this. As the Argentina captain at last went to lift the World Cup itself, his team's crest wasn't visible, and you could barely see the famous blue and white stripes.
That was already unprecedented for a moment of such symbolism that teams often insist on changing into their home shirts if they play in the away colours. It was exactly what Spain did in 2010. That iconic shirt wasn't really visible on Messi, though, because he was wearing a bisht. It's a garment that Middle Eastern dignitaries wear over a thawb on formal occasions, as a mark of special achievement.
Esta historia es de la edición December 20, 2022 de The Independent.
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