Chapter 6: Peaks, Pressures, and International Heartache (2013–2018)
1215 Words
The MSN Trinity: A Lethal Symphony (2013–2015)
By the summer of 2013, Barcelona’s board had spent €150 million to assemble the most expensive attack in history. Neymar arrived from Santos for €57 million, a prodigy with a mohawk and a smile. Luis Suárez, banned for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup, joined from Liverpool for €81 million in October. Messi, now 26, was the quiet conductor.
The first training session under new coach Luis Enrique was chaos—three egos, three languages, one ball. Enrique pulled them into a huddle: “You score, I don’t care who. Just win.”
The chemistry ignited instantly.
• November 22, 2014 – Sevilla 5–1 Barcelona: Messi scores a hat-trick, Neymar a brace, Suárez assists twice.
• April 11, 2015 – El Clásico at the Bernabéu: Suárez volleys Messi’s cross; Neymar chips Casillas; Messi seals it with a slalom past four defenders. 1–2.
The MSN scored 122 goals in 2014–15—still the most prolific trio in a single season.
• Messi: 58
• Suárez: 25
• Neymar: 39
The 2015 Treble
1. La Liga: 38 games, 93 points.
2. Copa del Rey Final (May 30, 2015): Messi’s solo goal vs. Athletic Bilbao—62 meters, four players beaten, chip over the keeper—is voted Goal of the Season.
3. Champions League Final – Berlin (June 6, 2015): Juventus 1–3 Barcelona.
• Rakitić opens.
• Suárez volleys.
• Neymar heads the third after Messi’s shot is parried.
• Messi wins his fourth UCL, fifth Ballon d’Or.
In the tunnel, Juventus legend Andrea Pirlo shook his head: “We planned for Messi. We forgot he brings two assassins with him.”
The Tax Scandal and the Weight of Fame (2013–2016)
Off the pitch, the fairy tale cracked. In 2013, Spanish tax authorities accused Messi and his father Jorge of evading €4.1 million via offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay. The case dragged for three years.
• July 2016: Messi and Jorge are found guilty of three counts of tax fraud.
• Sentence: 21 months in prison (converted to a €2 million fine) + €1.7 million back taxes.
Messi’s statement:“I only played football. I trusted my father and the lawyers.”The verdict stunned Argentina. Protests erupted in Rosario; fans burned tax office effigies. Messi paid the fine silently but stopped smiling in press conferences. His i********: bio changed to a single line: “La verdad siempre sale a la luz.” The truth always comes to light.
The International Crucible: Three Finals, Three Knives (2014–2016)
2014 World Cup – Brazil
Argentina reached the final for the first time since 1990. Messi, captain at 27, dragged a dysfunctional team through the knockout rounds.
• Quarter-final vs. Belgium: Messi’s assist for Higuaín.
• Semi-final vs. Netherlands: Saves a penalty in the shootout.
Final – Maracanã (July 13, 2014)
Germany 0–0 Argentina (aet). In the 113th minute, Götze volleys past Romero. Messi stands motionless, hands on hips, staring at the turf. He wins the Golden Ball as tournament MVP—but the image of him walking past the trophy, eyes hollow, becomes iconic.
Back in Buenos Aires, fans chant “¡Messssiiii!” at the airport. He doesn’t wave.
2015 Copa América – Chile
Argentina dominates, but the final ends 0–0. Penalties:
• Higuaín skies his.
• Banega saved.
• Chile wins 4–1.
Messi’s penalty is perfect, but it doesn’t matter. He sits alone on the team bus, hoodie up, tears soaking the sleeves.
2016 Copa América Centenario – USA
A rematch with Chile in the final. Again 0–0. Again penalties.
• Messi’s shot sails over the bar.
• Chile wins 4–2.
That night, in a New Jersey hotel room, Messi calls his wife Antonela:“I can’t do this anymore. I’m retiring from the national team.”June 27, 2016 – The Retirement Announcement“It’s been four finals. It’s not for me. I tried so hard. I love my country, but it’s over.”Argentina’s president calls it a “national tragedy.” Streets empty. Children cry in classrooms. The hashtag #NoTeVayasLio trends worldwide.
The U-Turn and the 2018 World Cup Collapse
Three days later, after 1.5 million signatures on a petition and a personal call from coach Edgardo Bauza, Messi reverses:“I spoke with my family. There’s too much love. I’ll keep fighting.”But the damage is done. Argentina’s 2018 World Cup campaign is a shambles.
• Qualifiers: Messi scores a hat-trick vs. Ecuador to qualify on the final day.
• Group stage: Draw Iceland, lose to Croatia.
• Round of 16 vs. France (June 30, 2018):
• Mbappé scores twice.
• Messi assists one, but Argentina loses 4–3.
In the tunnel, a 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé approaches: “You’re my idol.” Messi forces a smile, then disappears into the locker room. He doesn’t speak to the press for six months.
The 500-Goal Milestone and the Quiet Rebellion (2017–2018)
Back at Barcelona, Messi hits 500 club goals with a chip vs. Real Madrid in April 2017—celebrating by holding his jersey to the Bernabéu crowd, a rare act of defiance.
The 2017–18 season is his quiet masterpiece:
• 45 goals, 18 assists.
• La Liga title.
• Sixth Ballon d’Or (2017).
But the board’s mismanagement festers. Valverde’s cautious tactics stifle MSN. Neymar leaves for PSG in 2017 for €222 million—world record. Suárez ages. Messi, now 30, carries the team alone.
In a private meeting with president Josep Bartomeu, Messi demands reinforcements:“We’re losing our identity. Bring in players who understand La Masia.”Bartomeu promises. He signs Coutinho (€160m) and Dembélé (€105m)—both flop. Messi stops attending board dinners.
The Personal Anchor: Family in the Storm
Amid the chaos, Antonela gives birth to Ciro (March 2018)—third son after Thiago and Mateo. Messi misses a Champions League press conference to be at the delivery.
He buys a house in Castelldefels with a garden big enough for his boys to play football. Every evening, he coaches Thiago’s youth team, wearing a cap pulled low, refusing photos.
A rare interview with TyC Sports:“My kids don’t care about Ballons d’Or. They just want me to score so they can celebrate with their friends. That’s enough.”The Final Image of the Chapter
December 2018 – Camp Nou
Messi scores his 400th La Liga goal vs. Espanyol—a curling left-foot shot into the top corner. He points to the sky, then to the badge, then to the tunnel where his three sons wait with Antonela.
The stadium chants his name for five straight minutes.
But in the locker room, he sits alone, unlacing his boots, staring at the Argentina crest on his phone wallpaper.
The treble was glory.
The finals were knives.
The tax trial was humiliation.
The retirement was surrender.
And still, the Flea kept flying—carrying a club on his back, a nation on his heart, and a dream that refused to die.
The darkest chapter was written.
The brightest was yet to come.
- Writer
