My first experience of watching Lionel Messi live in a stadium was during last year’s La Liga championship; the match was FC Barcelona against Atletico Madrid. The way Messi deftly manoeuvred between players whilst keeping the ball under tight control seemed to defy the laws of physics. I had always been a Barcelona fan, but I returned home a devotee that night. Barcelona, unsurprisingly, won.

Fast-forward to this year when I was lucky enough to visit Messi’s home country for the first time during Copa America. Like many first-time visitors to Buenos Aires, I indubitably ended up visiting the colourful streets of La Boca in search of a (cheap) Messi jersey, before the much-awaited Copa America final. Wandering the touristy streets of La Boca, several performers dressed as Diego Maradona approached me. For a few dollars, each offered to perform tricks with footballs for souvenir photos; I politely declined, but kept a lookout for Messi lookalikes. That I was willing to pay for. The search for Messi only led to more encounters with Maradona — life-size cut-outs of the former striker with one foot resting on a football — outside every souvenir shop.

Even almost 20 years after retirement, Maradona remains the nation’s favourite. Despite his 55 international goals (21 more than Maradona) and phenomenal success in club football, 29-year-old Messi has been routinely blamed for the national team’s loss in international championships. The last time he steered Argentina to victory was in 2008, when it beat Nigeria to win the Summer 2008 Olympics. The under-appreciation, coupled with Messi’s frustration at the humiliating defeat against Chile in the recent Copa America final, led to the prompt announcement of his retirement from the national squad.

Understandably, much of Argentina was in shock the day after. The usual vibrancy of Buenos Aires, the capital, seemed dimmed, and every newspaper and TV channel ran the shocking news. It seemed impossible to Argentinians that someone they have continuously marginalised should eventually decide to choose his own sanity and happiness over the nation’s. Many refused to believe the news. A group of young adults practising football in the Caminito area said, “[Messi] seemed very emotional. He will announce that he was [emotional] and return by tomorrow.”

Son of a steel factory manager, Messi suffered from a growth hormone deficiency that led to expensive medical bills — something that Barcelona was willing to pay for. Unfortunately, this move laid the groundwork for the extreme disregard that he continues to face to this day — that of being considered an outsider by the country he was born in. The five-time winner of FIFA’s Ballons d’Or wasn’t let off the hook for settling in Spain. Until June 29, the day he sprang the retirement surprise.

Within hours, the whole country seemed to go down on its knees to ‘Lio’. Digital traffic signs across the country began to read, “ No te vayas, Lio ” (Don’t leave, Lio), social media hashtags surfaced and, most recently, a sea of supporters gathered at Buenos Aires’s Obelisk to beg the footballer to reconsider the move. Everyone from young children to elderly women braved the rain to turn out with flags spray-painted with “ Creo en Messi ” (I believe in Messi) or t-shirts with the words “ Lio, no nos dejes ” (Lio, don’t leave us). But is it too little, too late? When I asked young Argentinians in Buenos Aires what they thought of the situation — nearly a week after his announcement — they maintained the same stance: Messi will return. My friend Christian Jones said, “The day we lost was very sad, but well, I am sure some day Messi will return.” But would he attend the rally at the Obelisk? “No, it’s going to rain, and I have things to do.”

To the outside world, the signs and rallies for Messi seem genuine, but any Argentinian — like Jones — will tell you that rallies, protests, and signs are commonplace in the country. During my own visit I saw two large workers’ strikes and several protests against Uber.

Even in the arty streets of La Boca — like in hundreds of streets in Argentina — Messi’s face is on billboards on every corner, endorsing everything from shoes to mobile phones to airlines, but this marketability hasn’t equated to likeability. Not even after Maradona came to his defence: “People say he does not ‘feel’ the shirt, does not sing the anthem. Those who say that are fools.”

Abid Haqueis a writer based in Washington DC

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