Member-only story
I’m an American who hasn’t played soccer since junior varsity. While I follow English football (go Man City!), I don’t watch it much. I check the scores and standings every couple weeks. In fact, if my dad didn’t love the English league so much, I probably wouldn’t care. But, Messi’s victory means a lot to me.
My first memories of soccer come from playing in the front yard with my brother. We would play for hours out there. We also adapted our gameplay for Winter, creating an indoor game called couch potato, which simulated outdoor play.
Then, there was Fifa 10 on my Nintendo Wii. I don’t remember much other than the amazing soundtrack and the fact that it was incredibly easy to do a rainbow and score off a volley.
I played soccer seriously for about 7 years. Then, I quit. It was a long time coming. I think I was a little bit too emotional and submissive for playing soccer. This is still something I am working on — playing my games with confidence even when I’m not nearly as good as others.
Throughout this time, there was the perennial GOAT debate of Messi vs Ronaldo — a debate that has miraculously persisted until today. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the ability to watch the greats of football. The other week while I watched France play Switzerland, I couldn’t help but watch Mbappe in awe — I felt undeserving.
