Eduardo Sacheri knows a thing or two about great stories. He won an Oscar for writing "The Secret in Their Eyes." But as an Argentine football fan, he's lived through an even better story - watching two of the greatest players ever both win World Cups for his country.
Sacheri sat down with MARCA to talk about what it means to witness both Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi achieve football's ultimate prize. His perspective offers something special for fans trying to understand these two legends.
How Argentina Saw Each Legend Differently
Here's the thing about Maradona and Messi - they're both absolute monsters in football history. But Argentines didn't always treat them the same way.
"With Maradona, there was absolute admiration and boundless gratitude," Sacheri explains. That came from the 1986 World Cup, especially beating England. Everyone in Argentina worshipped Diego from day one.
Messi's journey was tougher at home. Many Argentines compared him to Maradona and found him lacking because he hadn't won a World Cup yet. Sacheri was one of the believers, but plenty of fans kept Leo at arm's length until 2022.
The Qatar World Cup changed everything. Now Messi and Maradona stand on equal footing in Argentina's heart. That's huge for punters looking at Argentina's odds in future tournaments - this team plays with different confidence now.
Why Messi Finally Broke Through
Sacheri thinks Messi knew Qatar was his last real shot. After the disaster in Russia 2018, Leo did the math and realized time was running out.
"I think Leo said 'my last great opportunity is Qatar,'" the writer notes. That desperation pushed Messi to prepare differently. He came into that tournament with everything on the line.
Coach Lionel Scaloni built the team perfectly around Messi. The young players knew their job - help Leo win his World Cup. It was beautiful teamwork, all focused on giving their greatest player his moment.
Now Messi's at Inter Miami, and he's changing American sports culture. Sacheri points out that Leo belongs to the era of global idols with social media reach. Maradona was a global phenomenon before globalization even existed - that's how special Diego was.
But Messi has something Maradona didn't - modern technology spreading his magic everywhere instantly. That's why he's pulling American fans into football like never before. For betting markets, Messi's presence means MLS matches draw more attention and action than ever.
