On Lionel Messi's 39th birthday, the best gift is something he already has

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ARLINGTON, TX — What do you get for the diminutive global soccer superstar who has everything?

Lionel Messi is celebrating his birthday June 24, having come into the world 39 years ago in Rosario, Argentina.

His career has seen him lift the World Cup once, the Copa América twice and eight times be named the winner of the Ballon d'Or awarded to the best player in the world. He is one of the most commercially successful athletes of all-time there are few tangible things Messi would want that he does not already have. Just this week he became the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cups.

Good luck, Antonela!

Asked what he would give Messi for his birthday, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said there was nothing he could offer other than "What I imagine we all want: For him to be happy."

Happiness is something that clearly transcends ability on the field. Some of the best athletes in the world have been sulking and miserable off it, unable to find the happiness their exploits brought fans for themselves or stying hyper-focused on a slight, one wrong move or the trophy that got away.

Messi himself is dealing with many emotions as he looks to help his nation defend its World Cup title and add a fourth star over the "AFA" badge. His father is going through a medical situation, which the family has asked remain private after a television host erroneously claimed on air that Jorge had died.

But Messi can rest easy knowing he has a gift from the Argentine people: Their eternal love and gratitude.

Even were Argentina's World Cup campaign to come to an improbable end in the Round of 32, Messi's name will be sung for decades, just as Diego Maradona's name continues to ring out in stadiums, at fan events and all over the World Cup cities where legions of Argentina fans have taken up temporary residence.

As the social media mentions pour in, as his teammates celebrate with him at base camp, he will feel the love of an entire country.

It was not always like this.

After a painful defeat to Chile in the 2016 Copa América Centenario final, Messi retired from the national team. He was the centerpiece of a team that lost the 2014 World Cup final, the 2015 Copa América final and the 2016 game at MetLife Stadium - the final two on penalty kicks with Messi missing his kick in the 2016 contest.

"In the locker room, I thought, 'That's it. The national team is over for me.'" he told reporters as he tried to hold back tears and let out a nervous laugh. "What I feel right now, what I think, is a huge sadness that this has happened to us again."

A statue of Messi on a "walk of fame" featuring a number of famous Argentines was chopped down by upset fans. Other images of him throughout the country were vandalized. While plenty of Argentines still loved Messi, there was a feeling that he was never going to be able to deliver his nation what it so desperately wanted: Trophies for being the best team in South America and the world.

But that moment of immense sadness passed and gave way to moments of extreme joy. In a team so dependent on one player, it is so clear that when Argentina succeeds it is because of him.

Even after losing to eventual champion France in the first knockout game of the 2018 tournament, Messi had started to repair the relationship with the corners of the Argentine fan base who had thought of him as a "pecho frio," a player who lacks drive, who may not have heart. After putting his emotions on his sleeve, then returning to try again, he had the respect of the Argentine public.

That was even more true in 2021, when Messi scored four goals and was named Best Player as he finally led Argentina to a Copa América. That tournament set the stage for 2022, when Messi delivered many Argentines the biggest trophy of their lives, pushing the Albiceleste to a win over France in the final of the World Cup and bringing home the first title since Maradona did it in 1986.

That moment forever secured his place not just in the country's history but in the hearts of Argentines. Already a massive superstar, Messi secured his place alongside Maradona and Pope Francis as an eternal icon.

You see his face everywhere in Argentina now. Rarely vandalized. Often tattooed onto the skin of the fans who admire him so much they want his image with them forever.

With this being his 'last tango', there is no doubt that Messi is a beloved figure who transcends neighborhood rivalries, social classes or any other division in Argentine society. His birthday, yes, but even days that are anniversaries of important triumphs, beautiful goals or personal milestones are celebrated, dates seared into the brain of not just hardcore soccer fans but casual fans, alike.

What does the Inter Miami star think of his own birthday? Just before the clock hid midnight in Argentina on June 24, he published a video of himself training, pushing to get better even as he turns 39.

It would be easy to say the one thing Messi wants for his birthday is a perfect group stage with a win over Jordan or another World Cup trophy next month. Of course he is pushing for those achievements as an athlete.

The reality is, though, that he has what he wants, with the bond now so strong between him and the country he left as a young boy, he need not ask for anything more.

Only Messi knows if Scaloni's wish for true happiness can be fulfilled. But he has the love of an adoring country of more than 46 million people, millions more fans from other countries around the world and the knowledge he has done more than enough in his career for that love to never fade.