December 20, 2022

???’? ??? ??? ?? ????????? ?? ????????? ???? ?? ???????! ?

⚽ What a storybook ending to a month-long pursuit of an elusive dream for Lionel Messi and the Albiceleste, the Argentina national football team. After almost 20 years, during his fifth (and likely final) World Cup appearance, in front of nearly 89,000 soccer fans and an estimated viewing audience of 1.5 billion, Messi cemented his status as the GOAT for many a soccer fan worldwide. ️️

? My family and I celebrated Messi’s incredible victory during a road trip, listening with bated breath until the winning penalty kick in the thrilling final match. For this bicultural family with roots in the US and Argentina (my wife is Argentine and all of our children were born there), the win was extra special.

As a family, we have lived through heartbreaking losses for our beloved Albiceleste. The rollercoaster of emotions during the game ended in tears of joy for me and my family. Pure bliss.

? What a triumph of grit, resilience and persistence for Argentina. There was never a shortage of critics and naysayers. Led by the one and only GOAT, Messi, Argentina won the Cup in a Game For The Ages. ?

Reporter Luis Miguel Echegaray of ESPN put it perfectly when he wrote, “????????? ???? ? ???????-???? ??????? ????? ????? ????????? ??? ???? ????? ???????? ????. ???? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ??????????? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?????????????????, ??? ???? ?? ??????, ??’? ??????????? ????????. ??’? ??????????, ??’? ???? ??? ????.”

Did you tune in to yesterday’s World Cup? Let me know in the COMMENTS below. ?