u/lowdown202

This last World Cup was pathetic when it came to Captains (ahem, Van Dijk). However, none of them worse than Lionel Messi. He set the precedent this last World Cup to play dirty. You would think for a so-called GOAT, and a champion with nothing to prove, I did not expect he wanted to play like he had nothing to lose. Shoving, stomping, petty calls for a penalty; this World Cup, Messi did not stand-out from any average aggressive player, other than his name being Messi.

Messi fans are so confident that there was always a narrative against him, but his Ballon D'ors and World Cup win in 2022 tells a different story. What's the narrative; a couple rival-fans disliked him? Whoopty-doo. Personally, the criticism he is receiving is the most he has ever received, and it's not even close, and honestly, it's not enough. At the end of the Finals match, when Messi sat down on the grass, his fans were all; "dude is looking back in his career, taking in what could be his final World Cup appearance. Oh, his legacy..." Motherfucker; your team is assaulting everyone on field right now. Messi's actions proved that even though he carried a team, even if he is a "GOAT", he sure is no leader. Messi's fans like to think he's the class of the team; a man amongst boys. In reality, he has sponsors to please. He's just like the rest, and you don't believe me; watch how he plays and how the rest of the team played; mirror-image.

I think how you go out is equally as important as how you performed throughout your career and how good you are at your peak. Messi had the best peak, and performed exceptionally throughout. However, I do believe this last World Cup is a dent into his legacy, as he will walk away as a disgraced loser. You don't become any less of a loser with trophies and silverwear. Messi clearly cares about his legacy, but he should've thought about that before playing the way he did during the World Cup.

On various social media (Instagram, Facebook, etc), I've been seeing a lot of posts about the World Cup (examples: Bosnian parade in St. Louis, Scots putting a cone on statues of Paul Revere, Bobby Orr, Samuel Adams, etc; Aussies singing "we're getting deported", etc.) and I think these are beautiful scenes; I love these people coming to America and giving us a taste of what they're about.

Meanwhile, the same people we thought we were laughing with are in the comments blittering about how sensitive Americans are. When I decide to scroll through the comments, I have to scroll for minutes (multiple 60-second intervals) before I see a single one.

Is this what's on their minds 24/7; hating Americans, spiting Americans, hating Americans? We're getting lectured by countries who arrest people for memes, song lyrics, a certain ideology, a certain religion, and they're gonna tell us we're too sensitive?

America is so great, we have so many problems and it's still the best country. We don't have free healthcare because we understand good shit comes at a cost (the free healthcare other countries brag about is inferior and peasant-like; privatized care allows a company to expand upon what is needed). Because of our right to bear arms, we have school and church shootings, yes, but that's the cost of protecting our homes with guns because we Americans recognize home is out ultimate safe-haven. There is a catch to everything one may say is good.

America is so great, before this World Cup, we barely acknowledged other countries' existence, and it's gonna be like that when they leave. That's another stereotype; "Americans don't know geography." We don't have to. What does your country offer that we don't? Mountains? Got it. Deserts? Got it. Beer? Got it. Sometimes, people will go as far to say a lot of our culture is derived from other cultures. Thanks for that, by the way; we don't have to go to your country to experience it.

Maybe I, as an American, find these comments annoying, but there are a lot of people out there that find our existence annoying; so in reality, the Americans have the last laugh.

Now finish your soccer tournament, and get out.