Ringside View | Lionel Messi, You Emptied Our Emotions And Emptied Our Pockets

It was fifteen years and a day ago, on 2nd of September 2011 Lionel Messi was first given the permanent Captain's armband for Argentina. Do you remember the venue? It was the City of Joy, Kolkata. That was also the day the boy from Rosario became Kolkata's adopted son. It was a FIFA friendly against Venezuela that Argentina won 1-0, and the stadium was packed to the rafters. A delirious, deafening, awestruck atmosphere filled the cauldron as Messi was invited in by 70,000 raucous Indian/Bengali fans, yours truly finding a place in there too as NDTV's reporter. That was Kolkata's original love for blue and white, long before the state welcomed in a certain political party.

Growing up on the Maidan in a city that loved Brazil and had witnessed the magic of Pele and Maradona, this felt like the moment when fans transferred their love from one generation to the next. Ours was the generation destined to carry that love for South American football forward.

Unlike the elders in my family who swore by Brazil, ours is a generation that has remained enthralled by Argentina. One man remains at the heart of that love story - Lionel Messi.

For years, he was the reason for midnight snacking and early-morning alarms. We were the generation that first witnessed the Copa America on live television. We were also the first generation to spend Rs 10,000 on a Barcelona T-shirt.

Lionel the Joy, you emptied our emotions and emptied our pockets too.

And when did the saga begin- that year, this day. Because it all unfolds a day before the match. I still remember hundreds, and thousands of Lionel Messi fans along EM Bypass. Back then, the bypass road looked different.

As his bus whizzed past the media patrol on EM Bypass, I saw a glimpse of Messi and his Barcelona FC teammate Javier Mascherano. Kettled in by the Kolkata Police with fans dissecting a LA LIGA game that the legend had played against Villareal just before touching down in Kolkata. Messi had scored twice in the second half as Barca cantered to a 5-0 victory.

You could hear fans yelling at each other: "Messi form-e ache. Kaal ekta-duto GOAL hobe" (Messi is in form, expect a goal or two from him.

The following day Messi mania gripped the city. A city and state that had just elected a new CM in Mamata Banerjee, ending 34 years of left rule. It was a tall challenge for the administration to manage the crowd. And despite the unprecedented craze, things never went out of order. Or perhaps, we kettled in an area did not know because there was no X or Instagram back in the days. Facebook existed, but there was no urgency to post.

And then came the match day, Messi mesmerised the crowd with his signature slalom runs, cutting through the Venezuelan defense and orchestrating every Argentine attack. Venezuela threatened to counterattack, but the Argentine star kept them at bay. Messi did not score in his first match as the official captain of Argentina.

But the only goal scored by his side came from an assist from the legend himself- a perfectly placed corner kick allowing Nicholas Otamendi to power in a header past the Venezuelan goalkeeper Rafael Romo.

Over the next 15 years of Messi emptying the emotions and the pockets of a generation, he went on to create a record for assists. He holds the all-time record for the most assists in men's international football history.

If you love the beautiful game, perhaps this is the moment to open your comfort snack pack and jump on YouTube to watch:

Angel di Maria vs Brazil (2021 Copa America Final): Under pressure, Messi launched a deep ball from his own half that capitalised on a defensive error, leading to the tournament-winning chip by Di Maria.

Carlos Tevez vs Mexico (2010 World Cup): A perfectly weighted through-ball delicately put into the path of Tevez to secure a crucial knockout-stage win.

Josko Gvardiol vs Croatia (2022 World Cup Semifinal): Messi turned the elite young defender inside out down the right flank before pulling the ball back for Julian Alvarez to score.

Nahuel Molina vs Netherlands (2022 World Cup): Messi sliced through the Dutch defense with a breathtaking, reverse pass that defied geometry to set up Molina's goal in the quarterfinal.

That was the tournament Argentina won in Qatar. Messi was no less sensational in 2026 as well. But the picture of heartbreak will remain forever in the hearts of his fans.

After scoring 125 international goals in 207 appearances, becoming his country's leading goal scorer, he penned down an emotional, deeply painful, yet peaceful good-bye note that marked the end of an extraordinary two-decade era for Argentina. Messi's father, Jorge Messi, died on Aug. 8. At the time, the Inter Miami forward said he had "so many doubts" about what to do next in his footballing career. When clarity came, he made a decision that almost looked like a writing on the wall from the day Argentina lost in the final. He chose the Instagram wall.

The moment could very well be picturised with Adele singing in the background: This is the end. Hold your breath and count to ten. Feel the Earth move. The movie ends with Messi, the purest form of joy, exiting the stage.

While Messi's first coming to Bengal signalled a new era in politics in the state, his second coming also signalled a change of guard. After Argentina's loss in the 2026 World Cup final, several memes were generated of Mamata and Messi, one telling the other that this is not the year for blue and white.

Messi may not return to the international stage, but Durga Puja organisers won't miss the opportunity to cast him as part of the Durga family, making his idol a prime attraction for pandal-hoppers during the festival season.