Sawt Falasteen - World Cup exploits of Maradona and Messi have Argentina fans in raptures

For the late tortured genius that was Maradona it was the 40th anniversary of his 'Hand of God' goal in the 1986 quarter-final with England, on his way to almost single-handedly winning the trophy for Argentina.

For the clean-cut Messi it was another record -- his double against Austria at the 2026 tournament on Monday that made him the all-time World Cup goal scorer with 18.

Maradona, despite his excesses off the pitch and his failed doping test in the 1994 World Cup, remains a hero to many.

It's fair to say controversy and Messi are not often mentioned in the same breath -- reverence for him is confined to his successes on the pitch.

"Maradona came from the working classes and brought a lot of happiness to these people who can only dream of certain pleasures others can afford," Fernando Rollan, 38, told AFP.

"Messi on the other hand belongs to another generation. But I love him!"

It is hard to miss images of Messi in Buenos Aires -- he adorns the iconic Obelisco de Buenos Aires and in the city of Neuquen, in the province of Patagonia, there is a 26-metre high statue of him.

The Argentine fans -- often with the national flag draped round their shoulders and wearing the national strip with faces painted -- who flocked to the bars and the fan zones took umbrage, just as they did in Maradona's golden age, with anything that might adversely affect their hero.

Such was the case when the 'fake news' spread last Friday that Messi's father, Jorge, had died.

That prompted the Messi family to announce that he was indeed ill and receiving medical treatment.

Nevertheless, his illness had been widely known amongst journalists and the sporting milieu, but had been kept out of the mainstream media.

"Everyone knew but nobody spoke about it," said high-profile media personality Yanina Latorre after the news was revealed.

"That unsettles the lad, and adds nothing."

Fans said nothing must be allowed to affect Messi's focus as Argentina try to win back-to-back World Cups.

"We are in the middle of the World Cup and they do not want to harm Messi," Oscar Aguilera, 59, told AFP.

"They are acting prudently. It is imperative they try to look after Messi at the moment," he added as he made his way home after the Austria match.

Messi turns 39 on Wednesday and at one point it was questioned whether he would go to the World Cup.

"Messi is incomparable, really," said Juan Beva, who was watching the maestro perform his magic on a giant screen in a fan zone.

"The old man who was on the verge of retiring? Here it is, the answer, for you all."

Q.Najjar--SF-PST