President Obama calls Messi ‘genius’ and backs him despite World Cup disappointment

By

Former U.S. President Barack Obama spoke Tuesday morning at a marketing and business conference in Colombia, and it’s no surprise that, as an avid sports fan, he waded into one of the big sports stories in South America for the past decade: Lionel Messi and the World Cup.

“Even people that we consider geniuses work with other people in order to develop their style,” Obama said at the EXMA Conference, via Diario AS. “In Argentina, even though Messi is wonderful, they have problems winning the World Cup.

“My advice to young people is that we have to recognize very few people achieve great things on their own.”

Obama’s comments come on the back of Messi absorbing a lot of anger and rage for Argentina’s failure to win a World Cup during his career. Since making his international debut in 2015, Messi and Argentina have failed to win both the World Cup and Copa America, coming in as runners-up in Russia in 2014, and in South America in 2004, 2007, 2015 and 2016. Messi, always the bridesmaid, it seems.

Of course, Messi shouldn’t be solely to blame. Gonzalo Higuain missed key chances in both the 2014 World Cup final and 2015 Copa America final. Argentina’s defense completely collapsed at this past summer’s World Cup, with France absolutely thrashing the Albiceleste.

While it’s unlikely, perhaps the Argentina soccer public can take some of Obama’s words to heart, and appreciate everything they’ve enjoyed from Messi while understanding that soccer is a collective.

Messi is back with the Argentina squad ahead of this summer’s Copa America in Brazil. Obama has previously stated that his two children are big fans of Messi, and had hoped to meet him during the 2016 Copa America, hosted in the U.S.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Prostitution; Nigerian Women At Growing Risk From Human Traffickers In Germany.

By
Image
According to InfoMigrants, Nigerian women are at growing risk from traffickers in Germany who exploit and engage them in prostitution. Read the full report below by InfoMigrants. The new prostitute protection law in Germany was meant to identify victims of human trafficking – most of them migrant women. More than 18 months after the law came into effect, thousands continue to be targeted for exploitation, and the risk for Nigerian women seems to be increasing. There are campervans parked by the roadside. Some have hearts painted on them, one says “girls, girls” in red letters. It’s an easy matter for someone to stop for a quick transaction in one of these Love-Mobiles – sex with one of the “girls” in exchange for the going rate. Prostitution is mainly legal in Germany, as are these mobile brothels. But many of the women in the business – including those working from the Love-Mobiles – are victims of illegal human trafficking. Most of the women are from Eastern Europe or Nige...
Read more

FULL TEXT: A sacrifice for our new political order – Ezekwesili

By
Image
“When the ACPN leadership approached me in a series of visits to appeal that I run for office on their platform, the party appeared to be a good fit. It was founded by some disgruntled PDP members some years ago, but when its prime founder decided to return to the PDP, a core of its membership refused to move back with him. I was told that they stayed back because of their opposition to the ways of the PDP. Considering my vocal disapproval of the PDP and the APC, I admired the ACPN’s decision to stand firm and refusal to be co-opted.” It has been an interesting one week since I made the tough but necessary decision to suspend my campaign for the presidency. I have been truly overwhelmed by the reactions to my announcement from Nigerians. Even in airports outside the country as I travelled last week, Nigerians walked up to me with questions, concerns, encouragement, and motivation. I also saw disappointment by some who had poured their hearts and hopes into actualising our mission ...
Read more

Update On Slay Queen Who Was Stripped Naked And Tortured Over Missing Phone.

By
Image
The League of Patriotic Lawyers has given Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olusegun Odumosu, 24 hours to unravel those behind the torture and insertion of pepper into a girl’s private part in Benin City over alleged stealing of a mobile phone.  Chairman of the platform and former Student Union President of the University of Benin, Mr. Abubakar Yesufu, who said this in a statement yesterday, also urged the state Director, Department of State Services, DSS, to be involved in the investigation. A video of the incident, seen by Vanguard yesterday, showed the girl being stripped naked by a group of people, who inserted pepper into her private parts for allegedly stealing a phone. The unidentified girl was heard crying and saying she didn’t steal any phone, while she was being humiliated by the crowd. Yesufu said: “The League of Patriotic Lawyers has given the Edo State Commissioner of Police 24 hours to arrest and commence prosecution of all the street urchins behind thi...
Read more