There’s nobody like Lionel Messi. The Argentine took his two goals against Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Copa del Rey last night at La Cartuja with typical guile, astounding even the most cynical football supporter. The Barcelona captain was instrumental in the blaugrana’s 4-0 demolition of los leones, leading a youthful Barcelona side with style.
It’s not yet known whether it will prove to be Messi’s last final as a Barcelona player. But if it was, it was a great way to go out, something recognised by the Argentine’s teammates after the final whistle. Each of them queued up to take a photo with their captain one-by-one, as if they were supporters rather than teammates. It made for extraordinary footage, something that underlines the unique esteem Messi is held in.
Employ as many social media managers as you want, but you’ll never carry the weight of a man who just lets his football do the talking, with no need for branded underpants. Don’t think we’ll ever see anyone like Lionel Messi again. pic.twitter.com/6eQhkNMEoS
— Alan Feehely (@azulfeehely) April 18, 2021
Messi and Barcelona’s focus will now shift to La Liga. The blaugrana sit third in the league table at the time of writing, with eight games left to play. They’re a point behind Real Madrid in second and two behind Atletico Madrid in first, and now just have the league to focus on. Next up is Getafe on Thursday night, before a trip to Villarreal the following Sunday and then the visit of Granada the Thursday after that.
