Birthday greetings to Messi – From a rugby fan in Israel
24 June 2026
Dear Lionel,
Happy birthday my man. Don’t worry about the number…. 39 is the new 29. At least for pro footballers like you.
I don’t know if you remember me, I watched you live at Camp Nou in April 2017, in the 0-0 draw against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final. I was in section 339…
Remember those good ol’ days when you played for Barça?
Anyhow, as you probably figured it out by now, I am not Argentinian. I’m Israeli. When I first made aliyah to Israel, back in the day, my roommate at Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem was Lucas, from Buenos Aires. The dude was an absolute lunatic. Loved him. I still remember this massive Argentinian flag that he hung across the room…
Anyhow, I was really happy for you and your team when you won the last World Cup in 2022. My first World Cup memories were listening to Pavarotti and the Three Tenors at Italia in 1990. And Maradona’s tears after the final..
In 2022, after 36 years of pain your countrymen endured, I kinda wished I worked for an Argentinian company. But I work for a German conglomerate. In 2014, after that Final, I got to work the next day, Monday, around 09:00. I noticed many of the German guys were already online (it was only 08:00 CET there). I start messaging them:
“Dirk… hey, did you not catch the game last night?” Why are you in so early??”
“Hermut – mazel tov! Why aren’t you out celebrating??”
“Gunther, congrats!!! You didn’t want to take the day off??”
And they all replied back in a similar vein (read in a German accent):
“Ha ha… Danke schön David… yes it vos a veery, veery good game… but vee are German, and vork veery, veery hard. It is not a holiday here today, ha ha…”
Indeed. WTF. If I worked for an Argentinian company, I would probably still be holiday now, four years later…
But, on a serious note. As a neutral, I really admire your Prez. Javier Milei. What a gever. We like him so much here in Israel that we gave him the Presidential Medal of Honor earlier in the year. Therefore, La Albiceleste has my unwavering support.
If you do go all the way, and get to shake Donald’s hand in the end, don’t be surprised if he puts a Knick’s cap on your head. Smile and grin. It’s way cooler than the bisht you got last time out.
I don’t have anything substantial to give you on your birthday. So how about this proposition: please come to Israel to see all your Argentinian friends here. Please come to Raanana where I live. Even Ronaldinho came here in 2018 to visit his Brazilian mates.
Lucas will no doubt make mate for you. We can meet in Park Raanana where all the muchachos watch the games on a Big Screen. And you will witness all the love our country has for you and Argentina.
Could you do me a favor, though, if you come to Israel? Could you bring an Argentinian Rugby jersey for me? I’m a big fan of Los Pumas. I vividly remember Diego supporting Los Pumas in the 2015 RWC. You know rugby is the game played in heaven? No doubt El Pibe de Oro is chucking around the oval ball up there.
If you Argentinian lads do go back- to-back this time, just remember, the Springboks did it in 2019 and 2023 🙂
Happy birthday Lionel – עד 120
Dave Arkin
