Argentina
The special shirt created for Messi’s Argentina farewell was, as expected, a huge commercial success
“La última de Leo” was not just a night of singing and football on the pitch, but also a major commercial operation, beginning with the shirt.
Argentina’s friendlies against Burkina Faso and Benin to mark Messi’s farewell have sparked considerable controversy
It is not the first time that football authorities in Buenos Aires and the Selección have been criticised for the way they “welcome” visiting national teams.
Lionel Messi has already decided that, after retirement, he will focus on his club and continue to expand his vast commercial empire
With work among young players, his hotel chain and a growing presence in fashion, Leo’s future is already taking shape. And, naturally, Catalonia will be its base.
Messi’s departure will have a huge impact on the Argentine Football Association, which has generated substantial revenue from a commercial strategy centred on its star player
It will mark the end of an era, not only on the pitch and in the public imagination, but also in the way the Selección is marketed globally.
The ball Diego Maradona used to score the Hand of God goal is set to go to auction and could fetch $10 million
Heritage Auctions, which will auction the ball between August 21 and 23, hopes it will fetch more than the shirt Diego wore in the same match.
The World Cup was won by the team that deserved it most (and Spain’s model cannot be replicated)
The triumph and dominance over Argentina, after a World Cup they controlled from start to finish, are the result of work that has been underway for decades. A process the Spaniards always believed in, despite the setbacks.
The Argentina-Spain World Cup final will have the highest ticket prices of any sporting event in American history
To see Messi face Yamal live, some fans are willing to spend a year’s salary.
It is impossible to say for certain that Argentina are the strongest national team in the world, but they are certainly the most superstitious
From the way they step onto the pitch for warm-up to the tradition of asado in camp: the rituals that have helped Argentina forge such a close-knit group.
The World Cup final will be played in a spectacular stadium, but nobody likes the pitch
Players and coaches who have experienced the MetLife Stadium pitch say the surface is too hard and almost feels artificial.
Argentina deservedly beat England, but Thomas Tuchel lost the semi-final
Trying to sit deep against a team that thrives on competitive intensity ultimately proved the wrong approach.
Whatever Argentina do, on and above all off the pitch, is geared towards putting Lionel Messi in the best possible position
And Leo has done and continues to do everything he can to carry the Selección to another World Cup title.
Argentina once again relying on the talent of its stars, but the Scaloneta still have questions to answer ahead of the semi-finals
Messi’s assist, then goals from Álvarez and Lautaro. Yet the Selección found Switzerland difficult to tame.