From Maradona To Messi: The Spirit Carries On

Perhaps the moment that best symbolised the significance of Argentina's World Cup triumph in Qatar came, and fittingly so, when Gonzalo Montiel buried the decisive kick in the shootout.

- Ravi Raj

While those standing beside Lionel Messi burst into a euphoric sprint towards the point of action, Messi simply fell to his knees and flung up his arm, casting aside everything and allowing himself to drown in the very moment that he must have pictured thousands of times in his mind. Lionel Messi was now a World Cup winner - one of the factual truths whose beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

For an old man, who grew up on a steady diet of Diego Maradona's heroism, it represented the passing of the baton. For an Internet warrior who has spent a considerable chunk of their life defending their idol, the moment marked the vindication of their thoughts. For those who needed a World Cup title in Messi's CV to accept his greatness, this moment became closure. For someone like John Mathew, an 18-year-old football fan from Kerala, it was simply, sporting justice.

Mathew recalls how Argentina's elimination four years ago left his entire family disappointed. "But the defeat also strengthened our bond with La Albiceleste," he says. "The entire family burst into joy after Argentina's victory was secured. Our grandfathers usually sleep early but they too stayed awake to see Messi lifting the trophy," says Mathew, who is also a member of Manjappada, the fan club of Kerala Blasters.

Mathew inherited the love for Argentina from his father who, like many of his generation, grew up admiring Maradona. The Argentine legend still remains the most revered footballer in the Indian subcontinent. It's not that there hasn't been any great footballer since Maradona's retirement, but none of them commanded the level of adulation that he did.