For Diego they play, and win for their 10

In a way, it is the story of a genius deemed the greatest of all time, paying ultimate tribute to the one predecessor he still places above himself.

In his unique way, Diego Maradona became an idea sown deep into Argentine hearts. Even from beyond the curtain that separates the hereafter from the physical world, he continues to inspire.

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When Argentina faced England in the 2026 World Cup semis, the team played for El Pibe de Oro, The Golden Boy, forever their symbol of resistance against oppression and what they felt was unjust.

That symbol began to take shape in 1986 when Maradona left a lasting impact on the world with the quarterfinal against England. Thus, the clash of 2026 became one steeped in history, haunted by old ghosts.

Decades-old history became relevant once more. Expectations grew, despite a lack of meetings in the last two decades. Argentina’s motivation in their comeback win was evident from the start.

Three names are chanted in songs in the Argentine dressing room throughout this campaign. It is more than a song that says “let’s go and win”.

“I’m Argentine from the cradle to the grave. For Malvinas, for Diego, for the last [championship] of Leo,” the Argentine players sing La Cuarta Estrella after victory, just as the fans do in the stands.

Coach Lionel Scaloni said the game is just about football, but that sentiment does not reflect in the songs. For a country where football is like a religion, perhaps it comes as no surprise that Argentines find their expression on the pitch.

It was no different in 1986. Just four years on from the war fought in the Falklands, known as Las Islas Malvinas in Argentina, the quarterfinal match exploded into life when Maradona scored a goal with his hand. It would be followed by the greatest goal ever scored at a World Cup. Maradona this time dribbled past a whole host of English defenders and left the keeper on all fours before slotting it home.

There was an energy, an aura, to do whatever it took to make Argentina win that day on June 22, 1986 in Mexico.

They have never sung the national anthem so loud as when Lionel Messi and the whole Argentine squad sang it this Thursday before the England game. Just like Scaloni, Maradona too had remarked “it was just a football game” before haunting England in 1986.

“Let’s go, yeah? They killed our neighbors, they killed our relatives,” World Cup winner Jose Brown, one of the mainstays of their defensive setup in '86, recalled Maradona saying as they came out of the tunnel in the Azteca. It was enough to light a fire through the ages.

Messi played the occasion before him. As a 13-year-old coming to Barcelona’s famed La Masia, he was already being compared to the man that defines Argentina. Asked who his idol was, the shy kid mumbled “Diego”. Do you want to replicate him? “No,” he said, his eyes revealing the deepest of admiration.

But he has always been paying tribute, not mimicking. As a nineteen-year-old in 2007, he famously recreated both of his idol’s 1986 masterpieces -- first the breathtaking Azteca run against Getafe, then the audacious "Hand of God" against Espanyol. And when Maradona passed away in 2020, Messi wore a Newell’s Old Boys shirt -- Maradona’s number 10 -- under his Barcelona 10. He scored a sublime, solo goal, then took off the Barcelona shirt. The moment felt deeply personal. From Newell’s to Barca, he has followed the master, sharing common roots.

Against England, Messi remained himself. He struggled, but there was no despair. He did not try the extraordinary, yet he remained decisive. He was the conductor like his predecessor, but at 39, he was also the street-smart version of Maradona. Thus, a cross with his weaker foot made the difference. Every step reminded the world of their shared aura.

Messi’s legacy was settled in 2022. Why does he come back for more? It is because of a profound joy emanating from giving back to his hero. Their hero.

"I never wanted to compare myself to him; as far as I'm concerned, he's the greatest of them all,” Messi said after taking Argentina to the final on Wednesday.

"Today, wherever he is, he'll be happy, enjoying all of this, given how much the national team meant to him and the legacy he left behind. It's a gift for him,” he added.

Enzo Fernandez, who scored the equaliser in the 85th minute on Thursday, said he and Julian Alvarez had been watching that game in the Azteca three to four times over the past few days. “He was with us, he supported us,” Enzo said after the match.

They have been lifted by Maradona to the final. He is their fallen hero. They shine because of him. They sing about the one that was “stolen from the 10”, referring to the 1990 World Cup. Messi and company want to give back what was taken.

For Diego they play.