Asado barbecue is a wonderful Argentine invention. The cuts of meat must not only be delicious, but more importantly, they serve as the reason for gathering around the charcoal grill. Anyone can grill meat, but not just any occasion creates a grand asado feast.

The act of lighting the charcoal and grilling meat together is a ritual in itself. It is an event that cannot be postponed, like embracing parents or arriving at the stadium on time for kickoff. Traditionally, an asado carries many meanings: warming the heart of someone recently divorced, celebrating a young woman's coming of age, announcing good news, or facilitating reconciliation. Nothing is more quintessentially Argentine than an asado.

However, as the Argentine newspaper Ole described, "specifically for the asado held on 4/10 when Messi joined the team, nostalgia and a sense of loss surged, as his farewell from the national team approaches."

Messi is as authentically Argentine as the grilled provoleta cheese appetizer or crispy short ribs, much like the sirloin steak that Diego Iacobelli, the chef in charge of the Argentina national team's asados, meticulously arranged on the grill at the training center. In the place now named after the contemporary icon of Tango football, the Lionel Messi center, the scent of freshly lit charcoal smoke once again overpowered the familiar aroma of fresh grass.

Messi has breathed that aroma since he was 17, when he had a fluffy mushroom haircut and probably hadn't considered growing a beard, wearing the captain's armband, or lifting the World Cup trophy. Now, this is Messi's final asado with the national team, a symbolic feast for the number 10.

This event was not merely an excuse to prolong time, to temporarily forget the 7/10 milestone on the calendar, the day Messi bids farewell to the "La Albiceleste" jersey. Amidst the clinking of glasses and cutlery, the lingering smoke will remain for days in the room next to the lodge. And memories will stay even longer in the minds of those present.

They are the veterans who gathered at Ezeiza to prepare for the match: Giovani Lo Celso, Rodrigo De Paul, and Nicolas Otamendi. Another veteran, Leandro Paredes, who could not play due to suspension, still had a reserved seat, a plate of food, and a space for memories.

All of them, including Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Alexis MacAllister, and Enzo Fernandez, replayed emotional scenes of their time alongside Messi. They supported the legendary number 10 until 2018, before embarking on a journey with the captain who will wear the armband for the last time on 7/10.

Lionel Messi joins the Argentina national team at the Ezeiza training center, Buenos Aires, Argentina on 4/10. Photo: AFA

An asado can condense decades of memories into just a few hours. For Messi, those are memories of 207 matches, of 125 goals. Of inspiring speeches in the locker room, when Messi touched the heartbeats of teammates who stood shoulder-to-shoulder for over a month, moving with masks on while dreaming of crowds celebrating at the Obelisco during strict Covid-19 lockdowns.

These are also flashbacks to the scorching heat in Qatar, where the third star was embroidered on the jersey. Memories of how Messi overcame the pain of 2014, 2015, and 2016. Of strong friendships with a generation of players who embraced him, accompanying him in seeking new opportunities even amidst what seemed like a sunset to his career.

Greasy cutting boards, bones piled at the edge of plates, half-empty wine glasses, and even tears. Messi's final asado with Argentina unfolded like this. The selected young players were also there, from Franco Mastantuono, Gianluca Prestianni, Santiago Castro, Tomas Palacios, Leonel Flores, Matias Soule, Nico Paz, Valentin Barco, to Roman Vega. They witnessed firsthand the biggest historical transition since Diego Maradona retired from the national team.

But Messi has a special privilege. This time, the fairy tale seems to have a happy ending. The football philosophy brought by Lionel Scaloni helped Messi have a complete final chapter. As Emiliano Martinez put it, "the whole team was determined to spoil Messi for the little time he had left."

This asado was not merely a barbecue; it was an asado specifically for Messi, an event where perhaps every Argentine citizen would want to be present.

Hoang Thong (according to Ole)