I am in every conceivable way and form a Messi fanatic. Simply one of the millions of people who admire him, his skills, and his attitude on the field. In the past week, two major matches took place: Argentina vs Brazil in the Copa America Finals and England vs Italy in the UEFA EURO Finals. As a die-hard Messi fan, I was inclined towards watching the Copa America finals, and not so much the UEFA EURO 2020 one. After Argentina’s massive victory I had initially decided to dedicate one of my blog posts as propaganda for the Argentinians win, however, events following that day led me to address a different matter.
It is important to remember that Soccer is not just a game; it unifies people from all around the world regardless of age, race, gender, culture, or nationality. Winning and losing is all part of any sport, what we learn from it is what matters, nothing more, nothing less. It is vital to understand that glory, in all its states, reiterates the emotion of happiness, and this happiness does not necessarily only stem from winning, instead its roots lie purely in the love for the sport. Just doing what you love is more than enough to make you happy. It’s easy for people to critique one’s actions and dwell upon their failure, but its immensely difficult to look past that and admire and appreciate their numerous successes.
Just a small reminder: Nobody is perfect. Everyone has their own flaws, but what makes them perfect is the person who accepts them.
What happened at the UEFA EURO 2020 Finals was unfortunate. I’m not sure how many of you are aware of this, but severe racist allegations were directed at England players after their defeat. Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were wrongly blamed for England’s loss. What’s appalling are the statements that have been pointed at these three players, all of which revolve around the dreaded word: Racism. It’s immensely disheartening to see these sensational players be forced to bow down to the pressures and hate that’s accumulated around them since the match.
Of course, drastic measures have been taken by the FA (Football Association) and several other prominent public figures, including the Prime Minister of England, to condemn the racist abuse of the England players, but that is not enough! Every one of us is morally obligated to ensure that such an incident would not repeat and so must take a firm stand against those that insinuate such behaviour. As England’s captain rightly stated, “Three lads who were brilliant all summer had the courage to step up and take a pen when the stakes were high. They deserve support and backing not the vile and racist abuse they’ve had.” Soccer is much more than this, it’s not just a game…