If you’ve been riveted to the 2022 FIFA World Cup these past few weeks, you haven’t been doubly mesmerized by Lionel Messi.
And you probably smiled as he led Team Argentina to victory and captured the final chunk of his epic career: a World Cup trophy after a dramatic penalty shoot-out against France in the early hours of Monday morning.
It was a goosebump moment. A reminder of the power of sport to demonstrate class, skill, entertainment and style. To see French President Emmanuel Macron shake Messi’s hand before patting him on the back in a gesture of respect – although he was no doubt devastated by the loss of his own country – showed how this beautiful game was a measure of heartbreaking drama that leads to the greatest appreciation for those who triumph over you.
Messi, meanwhile, has been working to further develop the game.
He is said to have demonstrated a modern form of masculinity in Argentina, described by The New York Times as “the perfect man for this moment,” in an article tying his rise to the rise of a feminist movement urging female gamers Winning parallels more funding for development and less sexual harassment. He has defied toxic masculinity in parts of football that remain stubbornly sexist and misogynistic – and is working with a movement in his hometown to end violence in stadiums, including a campaign in which he cries while various pictures of fans shared, attacking each other. He has been mocked in the past for showing such emotions that have been stained as soft and weak.
But over the weekend in Australia we saw something very different in the A-League: toxic masculinity at its worst, in scenes that led to the Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory game being abandoned
Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover left the pitch bleeding after a spectator threw a metal bucket at his head. Fans threw flares onto the field, with one hitting and injuring a cameraman. Glover himself threw one of the flares back into the stands – causing fans to rush onto the pitch. 150 people are said to have stormed the field, climbed the gates and wreaked havoc. It was a moment that “was lacking in total respect for the game of football,” said Victoria Police’s Jason Goddard. He released photos of some of the key people involved and said detectives would be “knocking on a few doors soon.”
Imagine taking a kid to this game, freshly inspired by the international competition.
The violence came after fans of both sides planned a walkout for the 20-minute mark of the game, as part of a larger protest against the Australian Professional Leagues’ decision to sell the rights to the next three major finals they will host will be Sydney no matter who played.
At other games, the protest was non-violent. In Melbourne it was something completely different.
Thanks to the behavior of this male-dominated group – just a tiny fraction of the thousands of fans who attended and never attempted to invade the pitch, and who would have been just as horrified as those watching from home – these became Images shared worldwide. Australia’s own epic run at the World Cup has been marred.
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