On the night of December 18, 2022, more than 40,000 Argentine fans turned Qatar's Lusail Stadium into a version of Bombonera, the legendary stadium of the country of Tango.
Lionel Messi and his teammates defeated the French team in a penalty shootout in the final, winning the 2022 World Cup. This is the championship that the Argentine people have been waiting for for for 36 years, since 1986. The victory in Qatar reaffirmed the position of South American football on the world football map with the third star on the shirt.
Glory with "breath" of Europe
When looking back at the squad that helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, there will be many opinions that the recent achievements no longer have the identity of Argentina, no longer unique to South American football! Because most of the players of the blue and white team have come from clubs from Europe.
The most typical example, the one who is considered a "symbol" for this victory, is Messi. The 35-year-old superstar signed a contract with Barcelona (Spain) at the age of 13. Since then, the legendary career of the No. 10 striker has been associated with the European team. It would not be an exaggeration to say that there is a huge gap between Messi and his hometown's football.
A similar case is the hero in the final, Emiliano Martinez. The Aston Villa goalkeeper could not find a place in his hometown. Martinez then joined Arsenal at the age of 18 and spent a decade practicing and learning. Martinez took a long time to show himself and finally, he played explosively at Aston Villa, before being called up to the Argentina national team.
The same goes for midfielder duo Enzo Fernandez and striker Julian Alvarez. Both were not named in the starting lineup when the tournament started, but when given the opportunity, they collaborated. However, neither Fernandez nor Alvarez have been developed from training in Argentina, but have instead developed in Europe. For Fernandez is Benfica, and Alvarez is Manchester City.
"Blood" of South American substances
For a long time, outstanding football talents have not stayed in South America. European clubs are always eager to sign young players and this prospect is as soon as possible to serve tournaments in their continent.
With a football environment with a fast, fierce and professional playing style like in Europe, they really need players from South America with talent and good adaptation.
For the players, the lack of attention from tournaments in South America has caused them to find ways to "go abroad", earning more opportunities to develop their reputation and income.
The La Albiceleste championship squad also has only one domestic player, Franco Armani, but the 36-year-old goalkeeper has not caught a single match.
Another player plays in the US, the rest are in Europe, many of whom have set foot on the old continent when they were young...
The World Cup gold trophy has come to Argentina, where the late legend Diego Maradona could have a satisfying smile in heaven, but Europe certainly played a big role in this victory.
