The forward turns 37 and, once again, celebrates by committing to the dream of an Olympic comeback with the Albiceleste.

After 20 years as a professional soccer player, Lionel Messi spent 12 birthdays concentrated with the Argentine team in the middle of some competition, including this one, No. 37, which finds him immersed in the dream of winning the Copa América again . The path began at the 2005 Under 20 World Cup in Holland and continued in 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 and now in the United States. There could have been 13, if Qatar 2022 had not been moved to November-December due to the temperatures in the region.

This is another detail that shows his deep commitment to the Albiceleste, which began exactly two decades ago (June 29), with that friendly against Paraguay at the Argentinos Juniors stadium to scare away Spain’s interest in keeping the team. then emerging talent.

His first birthday celebration surrounded by Argentine soccer players occurred in 2005, on the occasion of the World Cup, which the team led by Francisco Ferraro won and which represented a launching pad for Pulga, the tournament’s top scorer with six goals and chosen best player, despite having started as a substitute in the setback (0-1) in the debut against the United States.

That night, everything happened as was customary in the Pekerman era, who was already in charge of the senior team. The philosophy that José and his work team had transmitted in the youth teams was transferred to all the details, even the birthday celebrations. “There were seven ministries made up of the same guys who were in charge of different things. And among them there was a commission that was in charge of raising money, another of getting the gift and another of the cake,” details Gerardo Salorio , historical physical trainer from that golden stage, which today, in its essence, is replicated in Ezeiza with Lionel Scaloni, Pablo Aimar, Diego Placente, Javier Mascherano, Bernardo Romeo and company.

The “Happy birthday to you” sounded loud in the hotel dining room, and the man from Rosario smiled, shy, at the tribute from Oscar Ustari, Nereo Champagne, Gabriel Paletta, Pablo Zabaleta, Lucas Biglia, Pablo Vitti, Fernando Gago, Sergio Agüero and Neri Cardozo, among other promises that made up the group, which 24 hours later had to face Spain in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Salorio gave a motivational talk right there , after Leo blew out the candle and received congratulations from those present. “I remember that it was excellent, and while the boys were singing they went up to a very large elevator that the hotel had to go to the rooms. “It moves here, it moves there,” they sang,” he evokes in dialogue with Infobae , before reaching the unexpectedly climatic moment of an innocent scene, with fervor as the protagonist.

“In the middle of the jumps, Garay hit Messi from behind and ran. And behind Leo was (Gustavo) Oberman. It was the only time I saw Messi very angry. “He turned around and hit the person he had there, Oberman ,” continues the narrative, who should have mediated the untimely conflict. “ When I saw what happened, I sent them to sleep . But I couldn’t believe that Oberman had hit Leo, they got along very well. So I went room by room to see if anyone could tell me properly what had happened. And there one of the boys confirmed to me that it had been Garay,” he expands on his investigation.

Of course, the agenda required closing the rift with such a challenge on the horizon. “The former referee Ángel Coerezza had given me a book that talked about adolescence. So I downloaded it at the time of activation that we did hours before the game. I brought them both together and made them swear above the book that they were not going to do stupid things ,” Salorio laughs at his Solomonic solution. “It was a very nice group, very healthy. It was the World Cup that I had the most fun,” he says.

Oberman himself had revealed his version of the event in an interview with the TN site . “One day a lot of us got on an elevator and we started hitting our heads. One of those blows was received by Messi and he believed that I had been the culprit. It was quite strong, which he didn’t like at all. We held each other there, but they separated us,” he narrated. “The anger lasted until the next game. I came on in the second half and, when we were going to kick off, we looked at each other and laughed. It all ended there ,” concluded Cachete, who had started the competition as a starter, precisely, occupying the position of the idol that appeared in Barcelona.

The concrete thing is that those involved in the brawl fulfilled their promise to Salorio: Argentina won 3-1, with goals from Zabaleta, Oberman (from a pass from La Pulga) and Messi himself . And he accelerated on his way to the title. It was the forward’s first Olympic return with his country’s jacket. Then came the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Copa América 2021, the Finalissima and Qatar 2022.

“ When I see everything he achieved, it makes me proud and satisfied, because one was able to add a touch to the painting .” Every time he touches the ball, I dream that it will never end. Players like him and Fideo Di María have no replacement,” the teacher highlights what Messi means, who, like in 2005 and like every time the National Team needed him, spends his birthday concentrated and focused on the collective goal. Everything is for another slice of the cake of glory.