On October 6th, Lionel Messi played his last match for the Argentina national team. For many fans, this was an emotional time as they watched their idol begin to step off the field as the final whistle blew. Tears were shed throughout the stadium and beyond. It was the end of an era. However, for me, it brought back memories of someone I had lost a while back.
My Abuelo passed away in 2021. He was from Argentina and loved watching their international football team play, especially Lionel Messi. My family would gather at his and my Abuela’s house just to watch games together. A year after his passing in 2022, Argentina won the World Cup. It hurt knowing we were celebrating together without him there, but I could only imagine his loud, joyful reaction. Spending our first holidays together without him there was a struggle. After everything my family had gone through while grieving his loss, Argentina winning that World Cup felt like a sign from him that he wanted us to be happy, celebrate, and keep moving forward.Â
When Argentina reached the World Cup Final for the second time in a row this year, I couldn’t help but think of my Abuelo. Each game Argentina advanced to the next round made me realize how much I wished he were here. When Argentina had lost the 2026 Final, I was devastated, far more than I thought I would be. The disappointment of that loss, knowing it would be Messi’s last World Cup, and the reminder that my Abuelo was gone broke me. Messi was a player we all loved, and watching him play was something that brought our family together. I knew the day Messi left the team would come eventually but didn’t realize how deeply it would affect me.
To me, this final match was more than seeing my favorite player score his last goal. It made me reflect on what I had lost, but also everything I was lucky enough to experience. The memories that came back of Abuelo kissing my forehead to greet me and to say goodbye. The memories of him yelling at the TV in Spanish that I couldn’t even understand. I realize now that I took it all for granted. When he had passed, I could only remember him by his last few months, when he was sick. But during these times, I remembered him by the good moments when he was alongside me, and we were all together, watching Argentina play. Â
Messi might have been the reason my family gathered around the TV, but my Abuelo was the reason those moments meant so much. Even though I can no longer watch a game beside him, I can still find him in the memories we made together, every time Argentina takes the field.Â