Mystery over: video of Messi’s pep talk and secret chats before the final | OneFootball

48 hours before the World Cup final, the full video of the Argentina National Team leaving for the field at MetLife Stadium was released, shedding light on the many theories and speculations that had emerged on social media. The footage, shared by ESPN, makes it possible to reconstruct the squad’s entire walk from the locker room to the tunnel, providing the necessary context to a moment that had gone viral in fragmented form after the defeat to Spain.

The focus of the controversy had centered on a phrase from the captain before leaving the locker room: “Stay calm. The important thing is that we stay calm. Let’s forget about everything. Let’s just play. Let’s only think about playing”. The full footage shows how the team moved forward in silence for a long stretch through a corridor branded by FIFA, making it clear that Leo’s “let’s forget about everything” was an attempt to shield the group from the outside pressure of a world final.

Tactical instructions before facing Spain

Throughout the walk, the players held intense conversations about the European side’s approach. One of the most active was Emiliano Martínez, who gave Cristian Romero a specific recommendation about the opponent’s pressing: “It’s two against one, if you go wide, with Lamine Yamal they’re going to press you. Watch for that through ball inside so you can maybe turn one way or another,” Dibu told Cuti.

Shortly afterward, Lisandro Martínez stepped in to warn about Spain’s attacking movements: “We have to be careful when they cut inside because they always try to open up their foot, right?” he told the goalkeeper. After Dibu agreed, Licha gave Nicolás Tagliafico, who was tasked with marking the Spanish wonderkid, a fiery message: “You’re going to erase him. You’re going to erase him the whole match.” Immediately after, he turned back to the keeper to reinforce his confidence: “Come on, Dibu, be solid on every ball. Get it into your head. Catch everything.”

Messi’s request and a prophetic phraseIn another stretch of the corridor, Messi spoke up again to adjust the midfield balance, anticipating the possession dominance the opponent would try to impose. “When they go by, tell Leandro and Enzo not to push forward,” he told Cuti Romero, asking him to pass the message on to Paredes and Fernández.

Toward the end of the walk, just before taking the field, a conversation between Cuti and Dibu was caught on camera that took on special meaning in hindsight. “Your moment has arrived,” said the defender. “Today is my day. Today will go down in history,” replied the goalkeeper, who would end up being one of the standout performers of the match with decisive saves despite the unfavorable result.

The final seconds of the footage show La Albiceleste reaching the end of the tunnel and crossing paths with the Spanish players. There, Messi warmly greeted several opponents, including Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Fabián Ruiz, before leading the ceremonial lineup in what was the third World Cup final of his career.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.