01x03 - The Weight of a Nation

[bunniefuu]

[commentator] Bonus time for Argentina.

This is the 122nd minute

of the World Cup final.

It is now, or it is never.

The world has been waiting
for Lionel Messi.

[whistle blows]

Argentina was playing
the final of the World Cup.

It doesn't get any bigger
for Argentinian football than that.

[commentator]
The little boy from Rosario, Argentina,

on behalf of every little boy
wearing his shirt.

[commentator 2] Germany, 1. Argentina, 0.

And Messi has his last chance
to tie the game.

[commentator] No, no, no. No, no, no!

It's got away! It's got away!

It put a knife
through the Argentinian hearts.

That one hurt.

[in Spanish] When push comes to shove,
Messi fails Argentina once again.

[Bennett, in English]
Messi's career was a dichotomy.

His club career was peerless,
consistently cloaked in gold.

His international career, uh,
was often quite the opposite.

[commentator]
Argentina have been torn to shreds.

[in Spanish] What's happened
is that he's been to three finals

and he still hasn't lifted the trophy.

The Argentinian team is heaven and hell.

Today, Argentina needed
the best player in the world to rescue it.

It's a disaster.

If you win, you're God.
If you lose, you're the Devil.

[pundit]
It's the important games where Messi

- has failed the Argentinian national team.
- He knows it too.

It's obviously a psychological problem.

[pundit 2]
The expectation is nationalistic,

on behalf of 40 million people

who want to be world champions.

[Messi] In Argentina,
soccer is lived very intensely.

My whole life was like that.
My whole career was that way.

And that is very difficult.

And I am driven to win for my country.

[commentator, in English]
A nation on his shoulders.

[pundit] Fans of Argentina were ecstatic

after their victory
against Australia Saturday.

It was a milestone game for Lionel Messi.

He played in his 1000th career match.

And he passed the legendary Diego Maradona

in career World Cup goals for Argentina.

[person, in Spanish]
Okay, let's start. I introduce you

to two of my good friends and colleagues.

Oh, just one.

Who is the other?

- Who would be the other one?
- I can't give hints.

How many hours do you do this for, Kun?

[Agüero] Depends.
It can be an hour and a half, or two.

Good evening. Hello, Leandro Paredes.
Hello, Rodri de Paul.

[all chuckle]

It's the elevator.

[chuckles] Let's see.

The elevator, the elevator.

[all laugh, chatter]

[Messi] Kun is one of the great friends
I made playing football.

Since 2005, we've shared
a lot of memories, competitions.

We were roommates.

And we were the youngest ones.

[all laughing]

What are you idiots laughing at?

[Agüero]
He's one of my best friends in soccer.

After my retirement,

it was my first time as a spectator.

So I was determined to have a good time,

to support the guys.

Good luck. All the best on Friday.

No matter what happens,
you're all phenomenons.

And the truth is,
your victory is also mine.

We also love and miss you.

We love you!

I love you all. Hugs. Take care. Bye.

[Messi] The good thing
about this World Cup, or this team,

is that it's a group
where we all get along very well.

Did they leave?

We enjoy being together,

because we are not with our families,
because we are far from everything

and we cannot see anyone.

[interviewer]
You're focused and gone for so long.

How do you deal with the distance
from your family and daily life?

[child babbling excitedly]

[Messi] Being away from my family...
Every time, I feel it more.

Every time, it gets harder, truthfully.

It has been many years of my career,

and being away from them.

Although my wife and children
are used to it

and take it as something natural...

it is getting harder for me.

[child laughing]

[child laughs]

[child laughs]

Like all Argentines,
they see and hear everything

with anxiety and excitement.

[singing in Spanish]

They're euphoric. They're always
singing songs or wearing their jerseys.

Let's go, Argentina!

- Let's go!
- Let's go! Let's go.

To be honest,
it's amazing how excited they get.

[back-up tone beeping]

[chattering]

[pundit, in English] I've got the
privilege of covering this game on Friday.

Netherlands, Argentina.
World Cup quarterfinal.

Just an extraordinary matchup.

But there is one standout player
in Lionel Messi. You kind of feel that,

from the Argentinian side,
that he's on this mission.

[players shout, chatter]

It's the quarterfinals in the World Cup.

Argentina against Holland.
It was always a bit like a derby.

[in Spanish]
Give it to me. Pass it, please.

[Messi] It was like a big test, you know,

because we were facing
a team with great players,

with a lot of reputation behind it.

[in English] There's a lot of history
between Netherlands and Argentina.

[in Spanish]
Well, Argentina played in the '78 final.

And in '98.

[in English] There was
the semifinal in Brazil, in 2014.

Argentina won that on a penalty sh**t-out.

[commentator] It's in!

For Holland,
it is another "nearly, but not quite."

[in Spanish]
And now we were crossing paths again.

[Lineker, in English]
Holland was probably their first match

against what you'd describe
as serious opposition in the tournament.

Possible winners.

[Scaloni, in Spanish]
The most important thing

is to see how to hurt our opponent's game.

But I don't want to get ahead of myself,
because it's one thing to say it

and another to do it, so we'll wait.

The match against the Netherlands
is very emotional, even before the game.

We already knew
it was going to be more than just soccer.

There was a lot of talk.

[players chattering]

[coach, in Dutch]
Well, Argentina is the country

which eliminated us
on penalties last time.

So, we still have a score to settle.

REVENGE AGAINST ARGENTINA?

[Bennett, in English]
Louis van Gaal is a tactical genius.

In fact, his tactical genius is probably
only just overshadowed by his ego.

And he's very, very Dutch,
is probably the best way of putting it,

where they speak their mind.
They say it straight.

And he was asked before the game,

"How are you gonna shut
Lionel Messi down?"

[in Dutch]
Well, we're not going to tell you that,

because then we'll tell you our tactics.

But I don't think it's too complicated.

[Bennett, in English] "It's not that hard.
It's not a lot of hoo-ha."

Which probably sounds a lot better
in the actual Dutch than in English.

But it set a tone.

[in Dutch] Messi is a dangerous
and creative player. He can create a lot.

He can assist with goals
and score himself.

But on the other hand,

he doesn't play very much when
he doesn't have possession of the ball.

[Edul, in Spanish] "We're not worried,
because we know that

when Argentina doesn't have the ball,

they're a team of 10."

As if to say
that Messi doesn't have an impact.

I don't know
what Van Gaal was trying to achieve,

but it made the wrong person mad.

[interviewer 2] The team already had
a history with the Netherlands.

How was it for you?
How would you describe that match?

[in English] Hello, everyone.

The second of today's
World Cup quarterfinals.

It's a repeat of
one of the all-time classics.

As the Netherlands meet Argentina.

[in Spanish] Let's go, Argentina!

- Let's go, Argentina!
- Let's go! Let's go!

[commentator, in English]
Lionel Messi is just three games away

from lifting the one trophy
that's so far eluded him.

And there is a real hope
that the stars will finally align

for one of the all-time greats.

[Di María, in Spanish]
Against the Netherlands,

we arrived in good shape,
motivated, with energy.

We were fired up inside
from everything Van Gaal had said.

We went out
ready to devour the Netherlands.

[crowd chanting]

[whistle blows]

[commentator, in English] Romero.
Messi, engaged at once by De Jong.

Tiptoeing away from him.

[Edul, in Spanish] From the first minute,

they were coming after Messi.

[no audible dialogue]

[in English] Sliding challenge by Aké.
It's allowed to go. Here is, uh, Messi.

[Edul, in Spanish]
They wanted him out of the game.

[commentator, in English] Messi.

[Messi, in Spanish]
I try to focus continuously on the match,

and I tried focusing on what I had to do

and not on what was being said.

[commentator, in English] Pounced upon
by Molina, gathered now by Messi.

Here's Molina again!

Punched goalward.
It's, uh, hit the back of Álvarez.

Away by De Jong, and cleared by Gakpo.

It came out to Lionel Messi,
and Messi found Acuña!

[Agüero, in Spanish]
Sometimes, coaches provoke.

But doing that to Leo was a mistake.

[commentator, in English]
Once again, it's Molina.

Craftily taken by Messi.

Wriggling away from Aké,
and fiddling through a beautiful pass!

[commentator 2] Goal!

[commentator]
It's a wonderful Argentina goal!

[crowd shouting, cheering]

[commentator 2]
A genius of an assist from Lionel Messi.

[in Spanish]
Leo makes a blind pass and he scores.

It's incredible.

The pass he made on the field
was unbelievable.

It seemed almost impossible to do.

But well, after seeing the replay,
it felt even more impossible.

He reacted as if saying,
"I play soccer, I play it well.

And I play it for my team,
and I work for my team."

[commentator, in English] And that is
the first time at World Cup 2022

that the Netherlands have trailed.

[Messi, in Spanish]
We felt very comfortable,

but the nervousness of knowing

that any little detail or mistake
could leave you out,

you could end up eliminated.

Álvarez is strong,
he's having to be strong.

Shoulder to shoulder with Dumfries.

[whistle blows]

[in Spanish] There was aggression.
Lots of shoving and hitting.

[commentator, in English]
It's dismissed by Acuña.

A yellow card being shown here to Timber.

[Bennett] Both teams played
that side of football incredibly well.

They both showed that they have
a black belt in shithousery.

[no audible dialogue]

[whistle blows]

[commentator] The halftime whistle goes.

A first half of few opportunities.

But of one by Lionel Messi.
Within reach-out-and-touch range

of another World Cup semifinal.

[pundit] Really was like a surgeon
with a scalpel, that pass.

That was absolutely amazing.

When you've got someone like that
against you, sometimes you've just gotta--

Deep down, you might not do it publicly,
but you've got to hold your hands up

and say, "Well, what can we do?"

[Bennett]
You have to remember this, though.

Lionel, he's been here before.

Because as much glory as Messi has had,

there were traumatic years
in which it was only suspicion

that surrounded his commitment,

his care, his very Argentinian-ness.

2014 was really
the beginning of the heartbreak.

[interviewer, in Spanish]
How did you experience that final?

How was the match?
How did you feel in that match?

[crowd reacts]

To this day, when I rewatch it,

I reproach myself

and it makes me angry
how badly I kicked the ball.

[commentator, in English]
Germany are the champions of the world!

For Argentina, the wait goes painfully on,
past 30 years.

[Messi, in Spanish] We were so close.

So close to having achieved something

we all dreamed of.

Although I had many bad moments
and sad ones with the national team,

that one was the most painful.

[Paoloski] In Argentina,
to be revered, you have to win.

It's all or nothing.

The day he loses, he becomes the villain.

Germany, champions of the world.

And Messi has failed.

[Paoloski] For us, it's life or death.

A World Cup is life or death.

Surely you are mad, annoyed,
sad, and heated.

I received a lot of criticism.

[Cantor, in English]
He had won everything in Barcelona.

But Argentinians were looking--
"Yeah, okay. Keep winning in Barcelona.

But man, win something with us."

[in Spanish]
Evidently, it's not the same as Barcelona.

It's a disaster.

[Arévalo] And then comes
the Copa América in Chile.

It was a way of healing the wound
of not winning the World Cup.

And we reached the final
in a spectacular tournament.

[Sofi] Every Copa América,
for Argentinian soccer,

for the people, it's like...
it's such an important moment.

[commentator] Messi aiming to score
the way Matías Fernández did.

[commentator 2]
Here's Messi, on his left foot.

He shoots! Argentina has scored!

And Argentina loses on penalties.

[commentator 2]
Here's Higuaín. The referee signals.

It's 2-1, Chile.
Higuaín, I said he'd miss it!

Didn't I say he'd miss it?

Wow, wow, wow. Goal!

The shot. He's nervous! He's nervous!

Alexis shoots.

Oh, my God! What a goal!
Chile is the champion!

Chile, with Alexis!

[Bennett, in English]
The Argentinian jersey

was like chain mail on Lionel Messi.

When Lionel played for Barcelona,
he was free, he was gliding.

It was as if he was on ice
and everybody else was playing in mud.

Different shirt, and the weight of it

seemed to drag him down
into the very earth.

[in Spanish] They began to tell me
that I didn't care about anything,

that I didn't care
about the national team.

Three finals, three losses.
He's a great sub-champion for Argentina.

I don't care about Messi right now.
I want to talk about the champion.

I'm sick of Messi and his loser friends.

I felt a lot of anger,
a lot of helplessness.

They weren't talking about soccer,
but other unrelated stuff.

It bothered me and made me very angry.

Messi is the problem.
Messi, the personality.

As Maradona says, he's a champion
but he doesn't have a strong personality.

The people, the mob, want more.

They always demand more from their idols.

The person who wins 10 consecutive matches
should win 11.

He should never lose.
He should never fail.

Leo, we're live. Two words, nothing more.

[Agüero] He suffered more than anyone.

He would go to his room
and lock himself up.

While the rest of us were having dinner,

he would keep suffering for Argentina.

[pundit] Why is he hiding?

[pundit 2] I don't understand what
he's hiding from. No, it's truly a shame.

[Agüero] Argentina is Leo's weakness.

I mean,

uh, he loves Argentina like nobody else.

I can say that, because he...

He has always been Argentinian.

Because many have even criticized him,

that he didn't want to...

Saying that he wasn't Argentinian,
that he didn't like Argentina's jersey.

- He's more Barcelonian than Argentinian.
- [pundit] Yes.

[Bennett, in English]
For five, six, seven years,

Messi had been a scapegoat.

The "greatest to ever play the game"
was a scapegoat at home.

He was a laughingstock.
He was the lightning rod.

And then we saw him break.

[fans cheering]

[commentator] The opportunity
is right here for Lionel Messi.

He led off for Argentina last summer.

He went to the left of Claudio Bravo
and scored.

Bravo, 6'1",
made four saves in this match.

- [whistle blows]
- Can Messi put Argentina in front?

He missed it!

Stunning. Truly remarkable...

[Messi, in Spanish]
I truly felt very guilty.

I felt very guilty
for having missed that penalty.

I have always been self-critical.

And I always... I always blamed myself

because things didn't go the way
I would've liked them to happen.

[Agüero] Leo doesn't usually cry.

And I was there by his side.
I didn't leave him.

I tried to comfort him by saying,
"It's okay. Let's go.

We'll see what happens in the future.
Don't worry."

That's what I said.

And his response was,

"This can't be happening.
It's the same thing again.

How did we lose? It's like..."

I mean, sometimes there's no explanation.

[commentator] Chile,
champion of the Centennial Copa América!

[pundit] With which jersey has he lost?
The Argentine national team.

So he has won it all

except here. He can't stand it.

Go back, or-- Go back to Barcelona.

[Paoloski]
People would say, "What a loser."

"What a loser.
Messi, don't come here again."

"Messi, don't come back."
Messi, don't come back?

I remember it, and I cannot believe it.

[Bennett, in English]
Messi, he is human truth.

And human truth is about success,
and human truth is also about failure.

How you confront darkness.

In these terrible moments of defeat,
he doesn't hide anything.

There's no poker face.

So you are seeing
a human being, torn apart.

"IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE"

[in Spanish] It's over.
The national team has ended for me.

So...

Like I said, it has been four finals.
It's not for me.

At that moment, I was thinking that,

after everything I had experienced
with the national team,

because my journey had not been easy,

even though I had
extraordinary moments up until then,

I had also been pretty beat up.

And I believe, and I've said it before,

that our team was unjustly punished.

And I felt that was it,

that it was time
to leave the national team

and think about doing something else.

Unfortunately, I tried my hardest.

It's what I desired the most.

It wasn't for me, but...

But I think that's it.

- Is your decision final?
- I think so.

[Agüero] Many journalists
and people who criticized him

got worried when he decided to quit.

Like saying, "Oh,

I criticized him
and now this guy is not coming back.

When will we win something?"

[reporter, in English] Messi's retirement

has been nothing short of shock
here in Argentina.

On social networks, the hashtag
#Lio Don't Leave, has started up.

And the hope really is that Messi
will revert this decision to retire.

[reporter 2, in Spanish] Between seven
and eight thousand people are here.

[reporter 3] It's a ton of people.

For me it's unfair,
because he's a decisive player.

He's the best in the world.

Please, Messi, don't quit.

We need you.

I love you. I support you.

Keep going. Next time.

It would be very sad if he leaves
and abandons us.

[Fernández] Leo leaving the national team
came as a bucket of cold water.

DON'T LEAVE

I remember
I wrote a letter that went viral,

where I asked him to please not leave,
to stay with us.

I'd feel embarrassed
mentioning it to Leo now,

because a lot of time has passed and
I'd feel embarrassed for him to read it.

MESSI: IF YOU PLAYED IN HEAVEN,
I WOULD DIE TO SEE YOU.

We kept telling him to come back,
that this was his home,

and-- and to keep trying and to continue.

And I believe he was listening.

[Messi] The truth is that, in that moment,
I felt a lot of love

for the people of Argentina.

After seeing the people

and seeing the national team
playing without me,

it was like, my decision hurt even more,

and fortunately, everything worked out
and I was able to come back.

[fans chanting, cheering]

[commentator]
Argentina comes out the same.

Everything is ready here
for the last 45 minutes.

Netherlands 0, Argentina 1.

[fans cheering]

[Messi] Playing against the Netherlands
is never easy.

The first half was very hard.

They're a very dangerous team.

And you could obviously feel the tension.

[Bennett, in English] Before the game,
Van Gaal is putting down Messi.

But in that second half,
Messi is slapping back.

[commentator] Molina took it back.
Messi with a full pirouette.

Cut out by De Paul.
Messi in advance of him.

During that Netherlands
and Argentina game,

there was a lot of, kind of,
nastiness between the two teams,

I think particularly
towards the latter stages.

[De Paul, in Spanish]
Well, that part I like.

I feel good about it.

I like to always identify someone
on the other side

and make it a bit personal.

It motivates me.

[commentator 2] There's gonna be
a lot of that type of scrapping

in the middle of the park.

[in Spanish]
Something that happens in every game,

but here it was exacerbated.

The Dutch kicking him down,
muttering things in his ear.

They would pull his jersey.

[commentator, in English]
In his own time, when he wants,

Lionel Messi driving at the heart of them.

And getting tipped over.

Acuña...

Driving beyond Dumfries,

who challenged--

Penalty!

[commentator 2] You'd think
if Argentina could get a second goal

then the game is probably up.

[commentator] Once again,
Lionel Messi composes himself.

[commentator 3, in Spanish]
Lionel goes in-- Goal!

[fans cheering]

For Argentina!

The Messiah!

God is Maradona.

And the Messiah is Lionel.

[commentator, in English]
He has a dream to fulfill.

They have a dream to fulfill.

[fans cheering]

[Agüero, in Spanish]
Well, I think that gesture,

Leo placing his hands on his ears...

He did it because in the previous days
during the World Cup,

Van Gaal and several of his players
spoke out, saying,

"We can beat Argentina."

That gesture with his hands
on his ears was like saying,

"I scored a goal against you.
Do you have something else to say?"

[Messi] We were fortunate enough
to take the lead, 2-0.

To have a comfortable match where
it appeared like we had it in the bag.

We had moved another step forward.

[commentator 3]
Out comes Dibu Martínez to find the ball.

Incredible.

[no audible dialogue]

[commentator, in English]
De Jong going nose-to-nose with Martínez.

There's every chance
this contest could overheat

in the time they've got left.

The game was won, wasn't it,
with Argentina.

I mean, it was won.

I mean, they were cruising to a victory.
They were two goals up.

And then the Dutch started to
play a football that, you know,

we don't see from them.

[Messi, in Spanish] They started to
bring in big players, tall players.

[Bennett, in English]
Van Gaal, he sends on Wout Weghorst.

A journeyman striker.

He's 6'6''. He's like Dutch Hodor.

He's almost a mean player.

[in Spanish] They started to
cross the ball into the area.

[commentator, in English]
Crossed up towards De Jong. Berghuis!

He's got a corner.

[commentator]
Still time for the Netherlands.

Still time. Still a chance.

Berghuis...

Weghorst!

[fans cheering]

[commentator]
Weghorst executes it brilliantly

to give his team a sniff of a chance here.

This should be some finish to the match.

[commentator 2]
Suddenly, it's an entirely different game.

[in Spanish] The match was going well,

until we received another blow.

[Messi] None of us expected that.

The match was essentially over.

[in English] They reverse-passed it,
which was mind-blowing.

Even more mind-blowing, uh,
was who they actually passed it to.

Weghorst took the field
as if his sh*t talk was black belt.

And so much of it
was just aimed at Lionel Messi.

Took shots at him whenever he could.

[whistle blows]

[commentator] Argentina kicked back off.
He's gone charging into Messi.

[Bennett]
And it was as if Weghorst was like,

"Physically, I can't hold you.
Tactically, I can't challenge you."

But mentally trying to throw
Lionel Messi off his game.

There's still, you know, fights to be had.

[in Spanish]
When something happens to him,

or when something is out of place,
everyone jumps in there like,

"What's going on? You're touching Leo.
Don't mess with him."

[Bennett, in English] And the streets
will never forget this game.

There were yellow cards
just flurried everywhere.

There were tackles flying,
there was mouth, there was arguing.

[De Paul, in Spanish] We were doing it
for our country, for us, for our families.

That was the greatest motivation we had.

[Bennett, in English] At that point,
it was just utterly "burn it all down."

The Dutch had lived out the meme,
"Call an ambulance, but not for me."

[commentator] Taken back by De Jong. Aké...

Players are crashing over
the outrushing Argentine,

Leandro Paredes, who himself
clouted the ball at the bench.

[De Paul, in Spanish]
We were carrying something...

Not anger, but a feeling that
we had been underestimated

the week leading up to the match.

So, it was a mix of a lot of things
that led the game to take that turn.

[commentator 2, in English]
It's been sizzling, hasn't it?

Tempers...

It's getting heated.

And when you smash the ball into the--
into the dugout like that,

in these circumstances...

[Bennett]
The game has lost its effing mind.

Paredes just slammed the ball
at quite an astonished Dutch bench.

It was almost like, "You think you're mad?

Come and play with my little friend."

It was like, "No, we're Argentinian.

We invented human darkness
on the football field.

Do not eff with us."

[commentator 2]
Still a bit of work to do, though.

[commentator] Frenkie de Jong...

Seconds are running out.

Up into the air by Paredes.

That looks like a foul.

That is gonna be a free kick.

[commentator 2]
Oh, what a silly challenge.

What a silly challenge.

[commentator] In minute 100...

[in Spanish] And well, from there, a...

a foul was awarded near the goal.

And to be honest,
they ex*cuted an impressive play

that none of us expected.

[commentator] This is the game.

Eyes on the prize, and the prize is big:
To stay alive.

Koopmeiners...

2-2. Extraordinary!

One hundred and one minutes!

[in Spanish] And they end up tying
in the very last second,

because the match was already over.

[commentator, in English] Wout Weghorst!

And the immediate future is still orange.

[Scaloni, in Spanish] Soccer has given us
many examples of this, even worse.

We could have lost this game.

They tied us but the match continues.

We knew we still had to play


But the sense of team spirit was there.

That goes to show
that even if you keep taking blows,

the team remains strong.

[Lineker, in English]
And then it goes to extra time.

Both teams are so tired.

No one wants to make a mistake
that leads to their team losing.

[Messi, in Spanish] We were once again
superior in both extra time periods,

where we could have, uh...

where we could have scored a goal
and finished the game there.

[commentator, in English] Messi...

Fernández has hit the post!

Oh, wow.

[Fernández, in Spanish] Obviously,
we didn't want to go to penalties,

but it's part of soccer
and we're confident in ourselves,

and that we had a great goalkeeper, Dibu,
who could save us.

[Messi]
And well, that's when Dibu showed up,

and we knew that we had a great advantage,

because we had a lot of confidence in him.

We knew him,
we knew what he was capable of.

[commentator in English] Virgil van Dijk
leading from the front

for the Netherlands.

Oh, great save!

That is a great save from Emi Martínez.

[fans cheering]

[Martínez] It is a mind game,
but every goalie does something different.

How they move or they talk.

But nowadays, um, I'm in the spotlight
because I've done it in the World Cup.

[commentator]
These fans have been here before.

[fans chanting, cheering]

Lionel Messi, eight years ago in São Paulo
stepped up first against the Netherlands

and scored and sent them on their way.

From the spot he has
already succeeded once tonight,

obliged so to do again.

Messi's kick of the ball
could be his last at a World Cup.

A nation on his shoulders.

[commentator 3, in Spanish]
Messi is going first.

Against Noppert.

Judgment time.

[whistle blows]

[fans cheering]

[commentator, in English]
And Messi answers the call

- with extreme cool.
- [commentator 2] Incredible.

[fans cheering, chanting]

[in Spanish] Leo approached the penalty
with peace and incredible tranquility,

which gave us a certain level of calmness.

[commentator, in English] An epic,
whose denouement is still to come.

Berghuis...

Oh, another great get by Martínez!

Paredes thumps it and means it!

It's a belter.

Montiel-- Beauty.

They're on the cusp.

And now, Wout Weghorst,
without whose superhuman intervention,

this tie would have been decided
long, long ago.

And Weghorst does score.

And so this becomes the one.

[in Spanish] I wouldn't like to sh**t a
penalty. If I had the chance, I wouldn't.

The truth is, you have to have courage,
you have to have willpower,

and you need personality.

[commentator, in English] Enzo Fernández...

has dragged it wide.

And the drama drags on.

Luuk de Jong...

De Jong rolls it in with poise.

This is the kick of the ball.

A night that has gone on forever,
that will be remembered forever.

An epic...

Lautaro Martínez...

Argentina march on!

[cheering]

[Messi, in Spanish] Dibu was amazing.

In the most crucial moments,
he showed up as we knew he could.

A big part of why we moved to the next
match was because of his penalty saves.

[Martínez, in English]
When I realized someone was next to me,

I didn't know who it was.

And when you watch it back,

when you see everyone
running the other way,

and Messi coming to you, just--
He really appreciated my work, you know?

All I say is the truth, which is
I'm dying for him in goal, you know?

Like I never did for someone else.

[cheering, chanting]

[in Spanish] He demonstrated during those


that he is more Argentinian
than anyone else.

♪ Olé, olé, olé olé, olé, olé ♪

[Martínez, in English]
I think it was the best game

that Messi played in the World Cup,
because they made him angry.

[laughs] And I-- I loved it.

[Arévalo, in Spanish] If you had to choose
one World Cup match

that was truly
a roller coaster of emotions,

it's Argentina-Netherlands.

Going from 2-0 to 2-2 at the last minute,
the penalty sh**t-out,

and afterwards the fight with Weghorst.

The famous number 19 from the Netherlands

who misbehaved
during the penalty sh**t-out

by throwing quite strong insults.

Leo comes out
and gives us the usual interview.

[fans cheering]

[Weghorst] Leo. Leo. Leo!

[bleeping]

Go home! Go home!

[interviewer]
After the match it got a bit tense.

[chuckles]

Well, there was a lot of tension.

The match had just ended.

[in English] Shut up. Shut up, shut up.

[Messi, in Spanish] A lot of things
went down during the match.

And all that was still part of the match,
so to speak.

[in English] Don't tell me shut up.

I was waiting for you. The thing
I wanted to do was give him a hand,

- that's everything.
- Why are you saying--

He is reacting like that.

I'm waiting for him
and want to give him a hand.

[players continue discussing indistinctly]

[Edul, in Spanish] And that's when Messi
said one of the most memorable phrases

in Argentinian sports.

So Leo,
it got a little heated at the end--

What are you looking at, you fool?

Get out of here, fool.

- Get out of here.
- Easy, Leo. Easy.

So Leo,
it got a little heated at the end--

What are you looking at, you fool?

Get out of here, fool.

So Leo,
it got a little heated at the end--

What are you looking at, you fool?
Get out of here, fool.

[electronic music plays]

[Edul] And unintentionally

strengthened the bond
between the people and the team

with these words
straight from the sandlots of Rosario.

- Thank you very much, Leo.
- Thank you.

Well, Leo Messi, the captain
of the Argentinian national team.

[fans chanting, in English]
Let's go, Messi!

[players chanting]

[Scaloni, in Spanish] Dare I say that...

that-- that he has
the true Argentinian gene.

It's impressive how competitive he is.

Truly impressive.

If he didn't do it before,
it's because he didn't need to.

But, when he needs it
and the team needs it...

he's a competitive beast.

That's how it is.

[in English] After their
nail-biting victory over the Netherlands,

Argentina will now face Croatia in
the first semifinal of the 2022 World Cup.

[pundit 1] Fabulous night for Argentina.

[pundit 2]
It was definitely Argentina's night,

definitely Messi's night.

[commentator 3, in Spanish] There he is,
with a feint. Extraordinary, Messi.

Come on, do it, Julián. Goal!

[pundit 3, in English]
That assist for Argentina's third goal--

It was like he was
playing a video game out there.

He's so amazing.

He's now level on assists with Argentina
with the great Diego Maradona.

...where a Lionel Messi master class
has lifted Argentina

into the final of the FIFA World Cup.

[commentator]
Messi will play in the ultimate game.

[Arévalo, in Spanish] It was the
type of final you only see in the movies.

What we didn't know

is that the match
would also be like a movie.

[pundit 4, in English] Lionel Messi
has a shot at his crowning moment...

but there is one player
that stands in his way, Kylian Mbappé.

[fans cheering, chanting]