The Argentina national team have produced an excellent video to commemorate Lionel Messi's return to international duty for the first time since the World Cup, as the team prepare to face Venezuela in a friendly.
The World Cup feels like a long time ago. As summer became winter and we all returned to our normal lives where there wasn't three games of football a day we all rather forgot about those magic few weeks.
For Lionel Messi though the summer in Russia is likely to still be playing on his mind to some degree. Messi might be considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, players of all time but his failures in international tournaments continue to haunt him.
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There's so much expectation on the five time Ballon d'Or winner that despite two Copa America and one World Cup finals he's still seen as a failure in tournaments with his national team.
Without the Barcelona forward Argentina wouldn't have got to those finals and wouldn't have even been in Russia, but for his hat-trick in the final qualifying game.
The 31 year old has been taking a break from international football since the team crashed out of the second round of the World Cup to France but he returns on Friday against Venezuela in a friendly. And the national team have produced a brilliant video for the occasion:
Don't worry, we don't speak Spanish either, so here's the translation:
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"There's an Argentine who has the faith of Bergoglio and the speed of Fangio. He plays like Piazzolla dunks like Ginóbili and makes your heart beat like Favaloro. How incredible, right?
"In the area he's Gardel finishes like Sabatini and if you give him 2 meters he leaves you speechless like Borges. Flies with the ball at his feet like a Pagani Zonda and if he confronts you... he leaves you painted like Quinquela.
"Did count all those? That's ten Argentinians in one. And there are still people who think he's from another planet? Well, maybe. A planet of geniuses called Argentina.
"This Friday Messi returns to the National Team. A genius who carries the hope of fifty million Argentines. Don't miss it."
Bloody hell, all of that made me proud to be Argentinian and I'm from Bury and the closest I've been to Argentina is three weeks in Rio for the 2014 World Cup.
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However it's proof that there's a hell of a lot on Messi's shoulders and that a whole nation is hoping he can deliver them some success.
Will Messi ever capture gold for his country?
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Russia 2018, Barcelona, South American football, Lionel Messi, International Football, 2018 World Cup, Venezuela, Argentina, World Cup, France