​Lionel Messi’s words rang out through Buenos Aires Cathedral on Thursday as Archbishop Jorge Mario Cuerva cited the Argentina captain during a Mass held to mark the nation’s Independence Day, with the national team gearing up for a World Cup quarter-final clash against Switzerland. Cuerva drew on Messi’s message from the talismanic forward’s social media post following Argentina’s triumphant 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar, using it to urge unity in a ceremony that also saw Argentine President Javier Milei in attendance.
“Let us keep our shirts on, and with passion, bring to life the message that Lionel Messi once posted on his social media,” Cuerva declared during the service, before reciting the words Messi penned four years ago. “When we Argentines fight together and stand united, we are capable of achieving whatever we set our minds to.” The singer-like cadence of Messi’s message echoed the mood of a nation that has been rallying behind its team as they prepare for another high-stakes moment on the world stage.
The reference came just two days after Argentina delivered a dramatic comeback to beat Egypt 3-2, overturning a 2-0 deficit to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Messi, 39, is competing in his sixth straight World Cup and has found the back of the net in each of Argentina’s five matches, currently atop the tournament’s scoring charts with eight goals to his name.
The Mass at the cathedral also served as a moment of national reflection and solidarity, linking the country’s historic struggle for independence with the ongoing pursuit of sporting glory on the world stage. As Argentina stands on the verge of another decisive contest, the message from Messi—already a part of the national lore—was framed as both a reminder and a dare: that unity and collective resolve can propel a team toward lofty, shared aspirations.
In the broader glow of the day, the ceremony underscored how deeply football and national identity are intertwined in Argentina. The captain’s words, read aloud in the hushed reverence of the cathedral, carried the weight of a generation that has grown up counting World Cup nights among the country’s most cherished collective memories. Messi’s enduring influence on the sport and on the national psyche was evident as fans and officials alike absorbed the call to stand together, to fight as one, and to believe that, as the forward once proclaimed, the Argentines’ strength lies in unity and purpose.
As the national team looked ahead to the next rung on the global ladder, the symbolic gesture of echoing Messi’s message within the sacred space of the cathedral served to fuse faith, patriotism, and sport into a singular narrative: that by sticking together, Argentina can continue to defy odds and realize the dreams they have held since childhood, no matter how challenging the path may be.