Bargentina!

Trains to Moscow from Nizhny Novgorod were filled with thousands of uncharacteristically mute Argentina fans, sitting in the darkness and trying to forget what they had just seen.

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring the opening goal of his team during the group D match between Argentina and Nigeria, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg Stadium. | AP

MOSCOW: What a difference a game of football can make! Five days ago, Argentina mourned a national tragedy. Fans clad in blue and white shouted curses at their idols walking off the pitch as their media set about carving a cross on which the team’s coach Jorge Sampaoli was to be crucified.

The latter sat defenceless at his own sham trial even as rumours spread that his own players would be the first ones to stone him.

On the field, Lionel Messi walked around the field like a lost soul searching for something he had dropped in the grass. Every twitch of dismay on his face was interpreted and reinterpreted in a million paradoxical ways, as signs of disinterest, frustration, depression and of relief that the ordeal was finally over.

Trains to Moscow from Nizhny Novgorod were filled with thousands of uncharacteristically mute Argentina fans, sitting in the darkness and trying to forget what they had just seen. In the stands, Diego Maradona made an obscene gesture, grabbing his testicles to let the team know exactly what they were missing.

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Then Tuesday happened, St Petersburg happened. The team themselves did not fare too much better. They nearly messed up what should have been a rather straightforward task considering the weapons in their arsenal — Nigeria are hardly Brazil. But in celebration, no one bothers about trivial details like how the war was won or fought. Journalists from Argentina, who had spewed vitriol at Sampaoli, now started questions with faux politeness — ‘Hola Jorge, felicidades!’

Messi was quickly reinstalled at his pedestal of the best player ever and a million apology notes were laid at his feet. Against Nigeria, he tamed the ball with his thigh, befriended it through a left-footed caress and then a swing of his right infused it with purpose. When, after it hit the net, he sped away to corner flag, went on his knees and pointed to the sky, fans wondered what he was looking at. After all, God was here in front of them, having saved them from peril yet again.

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Messi had left everyone guessing with his stubborn silence ever since the World Cup started, but on Tuesday, he turned up to the post-match press conference with a smile plastered onto his face, repeating such well choreographed lines as “we knew it was going to be a difficult night, so it was a huge relief for all of us”. But there was also the odd unscripted one. “I don’t think I have suffered like this before,” he said.

Their fans, who against Croatia had sat still in the stadium because they were too stunned to move, now stayed in the stadium because they weren’t done celebrating. They weren’t done celebrating in the metro ride back as they climbed on to seats and banged on the roof of the train, percussion to their numerous colourful songs. They sang in the streets, in the cafes, in the centuries-old alleys of St Petersburg, all the way to Moscow on the trains. In the stands, Maradona made another obscene gesture to let the world know exactly what Argentina had done to them.

It was only one match and it was far from the World Cup final. Argentina had beaten Nigeria by two goals to one and had held its breath while Iceland went down to Croatia by the same margin to confirm their progression.

No one remembered that Argentina were initially scripted to waltz through this group. No one remembered that by finishing second, they had now drawn a tough opponent in France instead of facing the relative ease of a Danish challenge. No one remembered that this team still couldn’t defend. It was, after all, the time to celebrate. What a difference a game of football can make!

vishnu.prasad@newindianexpress.com