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Happy Holidays: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Still Basking In World Cup Festive Cheer

Argentina fans hugged and danced in the streets of Buenos Aires. Videos of Gonzalo Montiel's winning penalty against France and Lionel Messi's emotional celebration were liked and reshared across social media. The tears flowed from the eyes of a renowned television broadcaster who witnessed Argentina's win from Doha's Lusail Stadium.

It's 2024 for just a little while longer and Argentines are still happily reliving their third World Cup final win. The two-year anniversary of Messi's historic win was celebrated on December 18 in Argentina. It's a date that will forever be linked to that moment in Qatar. Messi posted a message on Instagram that detailed his emotions about the day.

"I love December and the holidays," Messi posted. "Two years ago it could've been a sour ending to the year but it ended up being the most beautiful day of my sporting career. Now, I'm reminded of this day every December. Happy second anniversary for everyone!"

Messi and Argentina continued to celebrate in 2024. They won an entertaining Copa America final in Miami over Colombia, completing back-to-back triumphs in South America's most prestigious international competition. Argentina ended the year atop CONMEBOL's World Cup qualifying standings, as well. Mathematically, Argentina has a shot at becoming the first country to earn a qualifying berth to the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Overall, 2024 was a success for the world champions. They did, however, suffer setbacks, both on and off the pitch. Manager Lionel Scaloni nearly walked away from the national team at the end of 2023, but has since pledged his commitment through 2026. Argentina are not unbeatable. And whatever Mauricio Pochettino thinks, Messi is no longer the best player in the world. That means 2025 is setting up to be a crossroads of sorts.

The Athletic examines the year that was for Argentina and what to expect in the new year.

Best moment: Argentina wins 16th Copa America

For the second time in eight years, the Copa America was played on U.S. Soil. Argentina were heavily favored as the defending champions and they were guaranteed to be well-supported. A fanatical brigade of fans followed the team from Atlanta to New York, to Houston and Miami.

Messi was now acclimated to life in the U.S. As he began his first full MLS season with Inter Miami. The rigors of the fast-paced and physical MLS style of play took a toll on Messi's 37-year-old body, which may have led to the Argentina captain's less-than-spectacular form in the competition. He scored one goal in six matches.

Argentina learned to win with and without Messi by leaning on players like Lautaro Martinez, Rodrigo De Paul and Julian Alvarez. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was voted as the best goalkeeper in the world in 2024, was also hugely important. Martinez saved two penalties in a heroic performance during Argentina's quarterfinal shootout win over Ecuador.

Lautaro Martinez continues to shine for Argentina (Juan Mabromata / AFP via Getty Images)

The final against Colombia pitted the top two teams of the tournament, but the match was marred by ugly scenes outside the Hard Rock Stadium gates hours before kickoff. Thousands of fans, some with tickets, and most without passes, attempted to forcefully enter the ground. The final was delayed by more than two hours.

In the end, however, Argentina outlasted a spirited Colombia side 1-0 in extra time. Martinez, Inter's star striker, scored the winner and Argentina celebrated another title despite never finding their best form.

Worst moment: The chant that tarnished Argentina's summer

It didn't take long for Argentina's win over Colombia to be shrouded in controversy. Hours after the win, a live broadcast from midfielder Enzo Fernandez's Instagram page showed the Chelsea midfielder and several of his teammates singing a racist chant against members of the France national team.

It became a politically charged incident in both countries, with state officials taking jabs at each other. Fernandez was protected and defended by most in Argentina, but in England, where he plays his football with several Black teammates, the 23-year-old had teammate Wesley Fofana accuse him of "uninhibited racism" via a social media post. Fernandez later apologized to his Chelsea teammates, but the scandal overshadowed the start of the Enzo Maresca era in London.

In Argentina, Fernandez's behavior, and that of the rest of the team during that video, was categorized as dressing room humor. It did spur conversations, however, about race, class and culture in the South American country. Still, nothing was allowed to spoil Argentina's celebration of their third consecutive trophy in a major tournament.

Best game: The Copa America final

Argentina were favored but Colombia were the darlings of the tournament. James Rodriguez had a second breakout tournament, harkening back to his golden boy performance at 2014 World Cup. The Colombians were a confident team, but history was not on their side. Argentina is a footballing country accustomed to big finals. Colombia is not.

That historical difference was a factor on the night of July 14. Argentina had found ways to win even when their typically fluid play was absent for most of the tournament. Messi could still win a game with one snap chance. And despite Colombia's 28-game unbeaten run entering that final, there was a sense that the stage would be too big for them. Colombia, though, were fearless. They dominated the first half and managed Argentina's better moments with a steely resolve.

Stadium issues marred the Copa America final (Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)

In football, though, it really does often come down to the basics. Colombia finished with 19 shots (four on target), but could not beat Aston Villa goalkeeper Martinez. And when Messi limped off with an ankle injury in the second half, Argentina became more direct, more dynamic. The breadth of their depth was put on display. Gio Lo Celso, Leandro Paredes and Martinez came on as substitutes and created the winning goal in extra time.

It wasn't a glamorous performance, but it was an example of Argentina's resilience and their growing independence from Messi.

Best player: Lautaro Martinez

Martinez was a deserved Ballon d'Or candidate this year. The 27-year-old scored 24 goals during the 2023-2024 Serie A season to claim the coveted title of Capocannoniere. His season included 30 goal involvements in 33 matches for Inter. Martinez was seventh in the Ballon d'Or voting and finished as Serie A's highest-ranked player ahead of African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman of Atalanta.

For Argentina, a team whose personality for over a decade has been linked to Messi, and with well-known players in nearly every position, Martinez at times has gone unnoticed. He has been partly to blame for this. Martinez has not replicated his consistent form in Italy for Argentina.

It was a problem that Martinez addressed publicly when his fortunes began to change this past summer.

"I'm happy," Martinez said after scoring the winner against Chile on June 25. In a hotly-contested group-stage match against a rival, Martinez was the hero. "I'm happy because I scored and helped the team. It has been 16 games without a goal for me, but I'm always willing to contribute however this group needs me to."

Scaloni dropped Martinez from the starting XI in 2024 in favor of Atletico Madrid striker Alvarez. But the Inter star was never left out in the cold. Scaloni praised his professionalism and his ability to win games when given the opportunity.

The Copa America allowed Martinez to shake off the rust and make squad selection a good problem to have for his manager. He finished the tournament with five goals and claimed the Golden Boot award. Martinez's coolly taken winner against Colombia in the final rekindled his star power in Argentina.

The stat that sums up 2024: Martinez reaches 35th clean sheet

Messi is given much of the credit for Argentina's rise to the top of the football world over the past two years. He has inspired his national team with incredible resilience and game-changing goals. But it's Martinez, an imposing goalkeeper with elite reflexes, who has been the national team's linchpin.

Martinez ended 2024 for his national team by helping them to a 1-0 win over Peru in World Cup qualifying. It was his 35th shutout in 49 matches for his country — a stunning statistic that tells the story of Martinez's dominance in goal. With Argentina, Martinez has won two Copa America titles, a World Cup final and the inaugural Finalissima against Italy in 2022.

Emi Martinez's Argentina performances helped him win acclaim as the world's best goalkeeper (Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images)

It wasn't long ago the charismatic and controversial Martinez was an unknown journeyman player to most fans, both in Argentina and around the world.

Now, the menacing Martinez is the top dog in goal for both his club, Aston Villa, and his national team. No goalkeeper in world football is perfect. Martinez certainly isn't, but his legend continues to grow.

Favorite quote

Emiliano Martinez in the pre-match press conference before the 2024 Copa America final:

"Kids will never insult you. Whether you win or lose you'll always be their idol. Older people (in Argentina) have lived through other national teams, so to see kids today so engaged (with us), it motivates their parents and their parents motivate us. It's a relationship that I never saw when I was child. My father tells me that he has never seen the people have such a close bond with the (national team's) players."

Did that really happen? (Messi's missed Panenka)

With Argentina facing elimination against Ecuador during a Copa America quarterfinal in Houston, Messi stepped up to take his country's first penalty in a tense shootout. Messi has never been, well, consistent from the spot. But since 2022, his penalties have been very good. He scored four of five penalties at the World Cup in Qatar, and one in the shootout in the final.

Messi doesn't overthink his penalties, either. So it was a major surprise to see him try a Panenka in a do-or-die knockout match. It wasn't a hasty decision, though. Messi told reporters after the match he had consulted Martinez and Argentina backup goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. They agreed with Messi's strategy.

GO DEEPER

Martinez the saviour after Messi's Panenka miss - how Argentina beat Ecuador on penalties

Yet with a sellout crowd of 69,456 watching anxiously, Messi popped his Panenka off the crossbar as Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez dived hopelessly to his left. Jaws dropped. Heads went into hands. And Ecuador's fans celebrated.

"My goodness," said FOX Soccer analyst Stu Holden, in disbelief. Messi, meanwhile, trudged back to the center circle with his head down. But after Martinez saved Ecuador's subsequent penalty from Angel Mena, he pointed at Messi from the corner flag in support of his captain. Argentina would escape with a 4-2 shootout win.

Player to watch in 2025: Thiago Almada

Former Real Madrid midfielder Nico Paz (now with Como) and Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho are two young players with bright international futures. But take a minute to appreciate Thiago Almada's budding career.

The former Velez Sarsfield prodigy made a surprise move to MLS side Atlanta United in 2022. He was a last-minute replacement on Argentina's World Cup squad that year as a 21-year-old and came home from the tournament a world champion.

Thiago Almada starred for Atlanta United before leaving for Brazil, now Europe beckons (Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

With a move to Europe in his sights, this summer Atlanta instead accepted an MLS-record fee of $21million/£17.7m (which could rise to $30million if certain conditions are met) from Brazilian club Botafogo, owned by American billionaire John Textor. The 59-year-old Textor manages Eagle Football Holdings, which also operates French side Lyon and has a share in Crystal Palace of the Premier League.

Almada helped lead Botafogo to their first Copa Libertadores trophy last month, then celebrated the club's third league title days later. He is set to be transferred to Lyon in January. The creative playmaker is a goal threat and a skilled ball progressor. He has consistently got better since leaving Argentina for the U.S. In 2022 and he appears to be a magnet for major international trophies. The bar is incredibly high for anyone to claim Argentina's No 10 shirt after Messi retires, but Almada is a candidate beyond 2026.

Scaloni appreciates his skill set, and in Argentina, Almada is considered a jewel, a big-time talent that will be part of the national team's next generation.

A wish for 2025: No second thoughts for Scaloni

The Argentina manager has guided the national team to their most successful period in its history. Scaloni is now compared to his most qualified predecessors like Cesar Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo, World Cup-winning coaches in 1978 and 1986, respectively.

Additionally, the 46-year-old has come to define a new era for international managers. Scaloni had served as an assistant on Argentina's 2018 World Cup staff, but had never coached a senior side when he was appointed interim manager in 2019. His man-management is perhaps his greatest asset, but tactically, Scaloni has matured into an astute decision-maker and a progressive thinker.

When he considered resigning as Argentina coach in 2023, the players and the country's fans were in a state of shock. Scaloni told reporters he suffered mentally and emotionally after Argentina's World Cup win. It made him rethink his purpose as a coach.

"I was close to leaving because I wasn't in a good place," he told Argentine journalist Alejandro Fantino in November. "I think it's best to admit it. It's useless to be in a place where you don't feel like yourself."

Scaloni bravely opened up about his mental health (Pablo Morano / BSR Agency/Getty Images)

As a guest on Fantino's podcast, Scaloni revealed he experienced fears that he had never felt after winning the World Cup. Those fears intensified after Argentina defeated Brazil in Rio de Janeiro during a World Cup qualifier in 2023. It was Argentina's first qualifying win on Brazilian soil and Brazil's first home loss in 65 World Cup qualifiers. Scaloni has since committed his future to Argentina through 2026.

"If you stop and think about it, the mind can play tricks on you," Scaloni said. "I don't wake up every morning thinking that I'm a world champion. That's not how I am."

It was brave of Scaloni to open up about his mental health. His ability to conduct the national team like a seasoned composer is highly valued. It's difficult for Argentines to imagine a future without Messi, but a similar sentiment now exists for Scaloni. For now, he's on board to defend their World Cup trophy in two years. Argentines will hope he doesn't change his mind.

(Top photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

The 10 Most Expensive Soccer Teams In The World

The most expensive clubs in soccer span four countries and are all worth billions of dollars each.

It goes without saying that the biggest and most successful teams in soccer are often the ones with the most money. The clubs at the top of the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1 have the luxury of signing the world's best players. With Vinícius Júnior, Rodri, Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane just a handful of superstars currently playing for the most expensive teams in the world, it is no surprise the clubs find themselves the favorites to lift silverware at the end of a season.

Here's the 10 most valuable teams in soccer across the globe, per Forbes.

Real Madrid are the most expensive club in the world. / IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Value: $6.6 billionLeague: La Liga

Real Madrid are both the winningest and most expensive club in the world. Los Blancos have a record 15 Champions League titles and 36 La Liga titles. Some of the best players in the sport's history have represented the club, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Raúl.

Los Blancos have an operating income of $76 million.

Manchester United won the 2024 FA Cup over Manchester City. / IMAGO/Crystal Pix

Value: $6.55 billionLeague: Premier League

Not far behind Real Madrid are Manchester United. The club is one of the biggest and best clubs in Premier League history. The Red Devils topped England's top-flight a record 13 times and lifted the Champions League trophy three times.

Manchester United have an operating income of $187 million.

Barcelona are worth over $5 billion. / IMAGO/ABACAPRESS

Value: $5.6 billionLeague: La Liga

Barcelona rank as the third most valuable club in 2024. The Catalans have an overflowing trophy cabinet, featuring five Champions League titles and 27 La Liga titles. Countless soccer legends can trace their careers back to Barcelona, with Lionel Messi atop the list.

Barcelona have an operating income of $145 million.

Liverpool have won the most Champions League titles of any Premier League club. / IMAGO/Xinhua

Value: $5.37 billionLeague: Premier League

Liverpool are the second-most expensive Premier League team, worth $1 billion less than Manchester United. Despite claiming 18 First Division titles, the Reds only have one Premier League title. The club has found plenty of success in Europe, though, taking home six Champions League titles, the most of any Premier League club.

Liverpool have an operating income of $102 million.

Manchester City are the defending English champions. / David Blunsden/IMAGO

Value: $5.1 billionLeague: Premier League

No Premier League side has been more dominant over the last decade than Manchester City. The Citizens claimed four consecutive EPL titles in as many years, bringing the club's total to eight. Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City lifted their first Champions League trophy in 2023.

Manchester City have an operating income of $148 million.

Bayern Munich are the winningest club in Bundesliga history. / IMAGO/Jan Huebner

Value: $5 BillionLeague: Bundesliga

Bayern Munich are the only Bundesliga team with a place in the top 10 most expensive teams of the year. The German giants have an incredible 32 Bundesliga titles and won 11 in a row before Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen took the crown in 2024. Bayern Munich also topped Europe four times.

Bayern Munich have an operating income of $84 million.

Paris Saint-Germain are the most valuable French club. / IMAGO/Sebastian Frej

Value: $4.4 billionLeague: Ligue 1

Unsurprisingly, Paris Saint-Germain rank above all the other French clubs when it comes to value. The French giants have topped Ligue 1 a record 12 times and have been represented by the sport's greats, including Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman wound up leaving for Real Madrid, though, after PSG failed to win the Champions League yet again.

PSG have an operating income of $126 million.

Tottenham Hotspur have never won the Premier League. / IMAGO/Every Second Media

Value: $3.2 billionLeague: Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur are the only English club in the top 10 that have not won the Premier League. Spurs have yet to top the Champions League as well, though they did come close in 2019 when they lost in the final to Liverpool.

Tottenham have an operating income of $161 million.

Chelsea last won the Premier League in 2017. / IMAGO/Action Plus

Value: $3.1 billionLeague: Premier League

Chelsea's value comes in just under Spurs' at $3.1 billion. The Blues won the Premier League an impressive five times, the third-most of any club behind only Manchester United and Manchester City. Chelsea are also the only team not named Manchester City or Real Madrid to win the Champions League in the last four years.

Chelsea have the lowest operating income of all the teams in the top 10 at $400,000.

Arsenal are still searching for its first Champions League title. / IMAGO/Colorsport

Value: $2.6 billionLeague: Premier League

Arsenal round out the top 10 most expensive clubs in soccer. The Gunners are also the final member of the Premier League "Big Six" on the list, giving England's top-flight the most representation. Although Arsenal has never lifted the Champions League trophy, the club has three Premier League titles to its name, including its "Invincibles" season in which the team did not suffer a single EPL defeat.

Arsenal have an operating income of $140 million.

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World Cup Soccer Is Getting Faster For Men And Women Alike

If the experience of watching a FIFA World Cup soccer final is intense, spare a thought for the players, who are competing at an ever increasing intensity, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport.

Professor Kevin Norton from the School of Health Sciences at UNSW Sydney analysed broadcast footage of 12 FIFA World Cup finals -- 2014-2022 for men and 1991-2023 for women -- to assess trends in the game.

Prof. Norton reviewed historical video footage with the support of computer-based tracking technology to track and quantify patterns, using what is called a retrospective correlation design. The study built on Prof. Norton's previous analysis of men's World Cup soccer finals games from 1966-2010, so ultimately took in the broadcast footage of 15 men's FIFA World Cup finals (1966-2022) and 9 women's finals (1991-2023) to quantify changes over time in specific metrics of finals games.

"The study confirms what football fans are likely to have observed, and that is that football is evolving for both the men's and women's game," says Prof. Norton.

"You can see that successful approaches stick around and unsuccessful attributes tend to disappear," says Prof. Norton, who is an expert in the evolution of elite sports performance.

"Looking at the World Cup finals was a way to see what is bringing the most success in terms of the evolution of soccer. And both the men's and women's game are on a similar trajectory, at a very similar rate," he says.

Games were analysed as halves to determine trends within games, and extra time (played if the scores are tied at the end of World Cup finals) was not included in this analysis.

The study looked at three broad categories: 1) game 'structure' using indicators such as the number and duration of play and stop periods, 2) distances and speed of ball movement and 3) passing rates relative to play time and overall ball movement.

The study found that total stoppage time, ball speed and passing rates increased significantly for both men and women, with ball speed increasing faster for women than men as speeds have converged over the last decades.

Game structure

By measuring play and stop patterns within games, the study found that total play times for men and women have remained unchanged over time (at around 50 minutes per game). However, total game stoppage time -- during which the clock stops -- has shown progressive increases.

Women's play percentage decreased significantly across time from an average of 65% to 55% of total game time to match current men's finals games play percentages. And the duration of stoppages has increased for both men and women.

"The increased stoppage time is likely allowing for an elevated intensity of play due to the opportunity for physiological recovery during stoppages," explains Prof. Norton.

Ball movement

The distance the ball travels during a game showed no significant change over time for men, but it increased for women. The speed of ball movement, however, has increased significantly in both men's and women's games. The study noted that the ball speed in women's games increased at a greater rate than in men's games as the women's ball speed continues to converge with the men's.

Passing rates

Passing rates continue to increase for both men and women as skills and accuracy further advance. Higher passing rates require superior decision-making skills, stealth movements and rapid ball control.

Key findings

"Speed is increasingly an advantage in football, which means all teams are looking to sign up faster players, and in turn they need to be skilful while moving fast. Players need to be able to control the ball almost instantaneously in a dense environment now, which is a change you can see over time," says Prof. Norton.

"The increased speed also means players need the ability to make decisions quickly, along with being accurate and fast in passing," he says.

Observing that success in the World Cup is linked with increased speed, and skill at speed, means teams are likely to focus their talent development on players with these attributes.

"Similarly, training and development will evolve to look at how to support the higher physical demands on players, by ensuring energy supply, and strategies to prevent fatigue and injury," says Prof. Norton.

"If these trends continue, pace, power, rapid decision-making and the ability to pass the ball precisely at high speed will become even more important," he says.

The women's game

This is the first study that has measured Women's World Cup soccer finals, and the evolution of the game has not been documented across this period.

"There has been significant underrepresentation of female athletes in sports science and medicine publications in most sports," says Prof. Norton.

"One of the interesting findings of this study is that both games are on the same trajectory. The professionalisation of women's soccer has meant women are playing full-time, and the speed and style of the game is now resembling the speed and style of the men's game, showing that the model is successful, otherwise the teams wouldn't continue on that pathway," he says.

Study limitations

The study is based on 15 men's games played over a 56-year period and 9 women's games over a 32-year period. And although the World Cup finals represent competition at the pinnacle of soccer performance, it may not be representative of soccer evolution in general. Games can also vary depending on contexts such as weather conditions, team strategies such as time wasting, refereeing style, score-line, injury and substitution use.

"Despite these game-to-game influences, we can observe an evolution of the game, and measure it to confirm statistically significant trends," says Prof. Norton.

The future

"Modern games are all about playing in very close, high-density environments where players need to think quickly to skillfully move the ball through that traffic. That's the way it's going, but can the game ultimately get faster?" asks Prof. Norton.

As the game evolves, the skills of stars like Lionel Messi and Sam Kerr will become a benchmark rather than an exception.

Another consequence of increased intensity is the toll it takes on players' bodies.

"Playing at such intensity every game takes its toll on the body and is associated with higher injury incidence. Managing players through appropriate training loads, recovery strategies and rehabilitation programs will become even more critical," says Prof. Norton

And on a final practical note, says Prof. Norton: "Players who can succeed at the pinnacle of sport are rare and finding them will involve searching every corner of the world ... And they will be remunerated accordingly."

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