i don’t even know where to start with this match. i genuinely went into it expecting argentina to come out on top, so that first goal definitely rocked me. weirdly enough though, i was calm. i think seeing messi live and knowing he already has a world cup has settled something in me. even if today had been the end, i don’t think it would’ve changed what he’s already accomplished. and then football reminded me exactly why i love it so much. there’s something so beautiful about watching a team that has already won everything still fight like they have nothing. you could see the desperation grow. every tackle, every run, every chance suddenly carried so much more weight. i can’t even imagine what that stadium sounded like. even messi looked off today, but then that late goal happened. holy fuck. i’ve always said messi taught me how to believe. he taught me patience, hope and perseverance. once again, he reminded me why. i do wish scaloni had changed things earlier. i still don’t understand some of the lineup decisions. but none of that matters right now. i’d already accepted that maybe this was the end, but i’m a sucker for a fairytale. they’ve already shaken hands with greatness once. who’s to say they can’t do it again?