Despite recent criticism of Messi post-World Cup final, Sourav Ganguly urges fair judgment of his career, emphasising that one match does not define a player’s legacy.
Sourav Ganguly has defended Lionel Messi after Argentina’s World Cup final loss. The former India captain insists Messi’s legacy remains untouchable regardless.
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time at the New York New Jersey Stadium on 20 July. Messi struggled for influence as Spain restricted Argentina’s creativity throughout. Some critics questioned the 39-year-old’s impact on football’s biggest stage.
Ganguly urged perspective when judging Messi’s remarkable international career. According to Dada, no player performs identically in every single match. Judging an entire career on one final seems fundamentally unfair, he argued.
Quick answers to key questions
Sourav Ganguly defended Lionel Messi by emphasizing that his legacy remains untouchable and that judging a player’s entire career based on one final performance is unfair.
Spain’s superior tactical preparation restricted Argentina’s creativity and prevented them from playing their natural game throughout the match.
Ganguly stated that reaching the final itself is a significant achievement for Argentina, highlighting that one team wins and another loses in football.
The argument arose after Enzo Fernandez received a red card, which left Argentina with ten players at a crucial moment in the match, and Messi reportedly blamed him for the loss.
In his note, Messi thanked fans for their support, reflected on the pride of reaching two consecutive World Cup finals, and acknowledged the pain of the defeat while congratulating Spain on their victory.
“We must always remember that he is a human being, and no one performs at the same level every day. There will be off days. Evaluating his entire career based on one final or one performance is simply unfair,” Ganguly told the press.
The final proved tactically difficult for Argentina throughout the match. Spain’s youthful, energetic side dominated proceedings from the very beginning.
Argentina’s teammates adopted physical tactics that ultimately backfired against them. Ganguly praised Spain’s tactical setup, calling their preparation clearly superior. He said Spain had never allowed Argentina to play naturally.
“I did not watch the entire World Cup, but I followed several key matches, including the semi-finals and the final,” Dada said.
“In the final, I felt Spain never allowed Argentina to play their natural game from the very beginning. Tactically, Spain were far better prepared,” the former BCCI president added.
Questions now surround whether Messi will retire from international football. According to Ganguly, reaching the final remains a genuine achievement regardless.
Argentina successfully defended their Copa América title two years ago. He reminded people that football would always produce winners and losers.
“Reaching the final itself is a significant achievement for Argentina. But, in football, one team wins, and the other loses; that is the nature of the sport,” one of India’s most successful cricket captains said.
‘Messi is not GOAT’
In June, during an interaction with veteran sports journalist Gautam Bhattacharya, Sourav Ganguly said that he did not consider Lionel Messi the Greatest of All Time (GOAT). His choice may surprise you.
Ganguly said he’d choose Maradona over Messi any day because “he is the greatest”. “Messi is not the greatest?” Bhattacharya asked. Dada said, “No, no!”
When asked why, Ganguly simply said, “Skill! Maradona’s skills were better than Messi’s in every aspect. Even his consistency. People like Maradona, Shane Warne, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Muttiah Muralitharan and Muhammad Ali are freaks! They are once in a generation.”
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Sounak Mukhopadhyay
Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers.
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HomeNewsTrends‘Messi is a human being’: Sourav Ganguly defends Leo after Argentina’s defeat against Spain in World Cup final
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