"Lionel Messi has shaken hands with paradise. The little boy from Rosario, Santa Fe, has just pitched up in heaven. He climbs into a galaxy of his own. He has his crowning moment, and of course he is not alone,"

remember those poetic words from Peter Drury after the Argentine legend won the World Cup in Qatar four years ago? They were more than a piece of poetic commentary. They captured the release of a lifetime’s longing.

For Messi, it was the moment every defeat, missed penalty and lost final had been leading towards. For those watching, it was one of those rare occasions when football seemed to produce the ending everyone had demanded of it.

Four years later, the little boy from Rosario has walked away from Argentina.

The news brought tributes from Argentine supporters and from those who had shared the dressing room, the defeats and, eventually, the triumphs with him.

"Lionel Messi has shaken hands with paradise. The little boy from Rosario, Santa Fe, has just pitched up in heaven. He climbs into a galaxy of his own. He has his crowning moment, and of course he is not alone,"

remember those poetic words from Peter Drury after the Argentine legend won the World Cup in Qatar four years ago? They were more than a piece of poetic commentary. They captured the release of a lifetime’s longing.

For Messi, it was the moment every defeat, missed penalty and lost final had been leading towards. For those watching, it was one of those rare occasions when football seemed to produce the ending everyone had demanded of it.

Four years later, the little boy from Rosario has walked away from Argentina.

The news brought tributes from Argentine supporters and from those who had shared the dressing room, the defeats and, eventually, the triumphs with him.

Their messages read less like formal tributes and more like letters to their captain.

Source: telegraphindia