Lionel Messi is the captain of the Argentine National Team, he demonstrates it on the field and also off the field, with actions. This Thursday he will start against Ecuador in the quarterfinals of the Copa America after a week of uncertainty surrounding his strong strain in the right adductor.
It was a race against the clock in which the Flea, and the medical team of the National Team, worked tirelessly to get him ready to face the match and maintain a brutal statistic that denotes the sense of belonging that Leo has with the albiceleste shirt.
It's just that, since he was left on the substitutes' bench in those quarterfinals against Germany in the 2006 World Cup, he has never lost a direct elimination match in any 'major' tournament.
The number 10 always showed up, even during the time of lost (but played) finals with the national team and the accumulation of disappointments in the fans.
Today, Messi is a flag and in eternal glory after Qatar 2022. With the captain's armband, he will be on the right wing, leaving his guardian angel Di María on the bench.
It was a recovery that required intense work in the affected area, often difficult to access and resolve. But the AFA physiotherapy team and even a personal one who treated him at his home in Fort Lauderdale, when they were still in Miami, helped him recover.
He trained on the field and increased intensity over the last three days, convincing coach Lionel Scaloni to take the risk, nine days after that muscle discomfort.
The Pujato coach knows it can pose a risk in the future, but Messi doesn't want to watch the action from the bench, as happened on Saturday against Peru.
While the national team has shown that it can play without its number 10, the point is that his presence conditions, either through his direct involvement with the ball or by being a magnet for opponents, creating space that his teammates can take advantage of.
Then, the starting eleven against Ecuador would be - pending official confirmation - with Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández; Messi, Lautaro Martínez, and Nicolás González.