Qué mirás, bobo
What can Messi teach internal auditors?
In 2022, Lionel Messi participated in his fifth and, according to his own words, final FIFA World Cup.
Finally, he won.
In all five World Cups he participated in, the world held high expectations for Messi to secure the title. After all, he had won the Ballon d’Or, or the title of the best football player in the world, an astonishing seven times. He remains the most decorated player in the award's history.
Messi came close to victory in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but in true pre-2022 Messi World Cup fashion, he missed the opportunity. As the announcer stated before the free kick, "The world has been waiting for Lionel Messi…it is now or never….” Unfortunately, it seemed to be 'never'. He launched a decent American football kick in the 122nd minute of the match, the last chance to tie the score with Germany and take the game to penalty shoot-outs.
Many high-profile players had doubts about Messi's ability to deliver when it mattered, including none other than his compatriot, El Barrilete Cósmico, Maradona. In 2016, Maradona and Pelé met in France for a “match of friendship.” During their encounter, they discussed Messi. Pelé asked Maradona, "Do you know Messi personally? Is he a good person?" Maradona replied, "He is a good person but lacks personality, like how to be a leader."
However, things began to change in the 2021 Copa América. In a memorable speech, Messi inspired his team to bring home Argentina’s first major international title in nearly 30 years. According to Di Maria, Messi’s teammate, that last speech was different - Messi had lost his mind. Yet, nobody knew what was coming.
Fast forward to the end of 2022. Argentina is playing against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, in one of the competition's best games. With about 20 minutes left, Messi scores a penalty kick for Argentina, taking the lead 2-0.
In a highly unusual celebration, he performs the Topo Gigio gesture to Netherland’s coach, Van Gaal. There is a long backstory to this. Allegedly, Van Gaal mistreated Messi’s former teammate, Riquelme, during his tenure at FC Barcelona, as well as Di Maria during his time at Manchester United. To put it mildly, there was some bad blood between the Argentinian squad and Van Gaal.
However, the game was far from over. The Netherlands unexpectedly tied the score with a brilliant free kick in the final game minute. Despite the Netherlands' comeback, Argentina advanced, thanks largely to their goalkeeper, Martinez, who played a key role in the penalty shoot-outs.
The drama didn't end with the game. During a post-match interview with an Argentinian reporter, an irate Messi asked a Dutch player, "What are you looking at, fool?".
Such brazenness was again, unexpected.
I didn't believe Messi would win the 2022 World Cup. But at that moment, I thought they had a chance. Messi would later reveal that he felt Maradona’s presence during the games.
The rest is history. Argentina beat Croatia and then went on to defeat France in the final in what was, in my opinion, the tournament's best game.
So, what does this have to do with Internal Audit?
It might seem like a stretch, and I don't care if it is, but as internal auditors, we are often exceedingly cautious in what we say, to the point of being timid.
We need to shift that gear. Say what you want to say. We are not robots. We need to be authentic and original.
Messi's journey, marked by grit, serves as a reminder that authenticity and a willingness to shake things up can lead to unprecedented success.
As auditors, we too should use our authenticity, unafraid of stirring the pot when necessary.
After all, it is only when we fearlessly challenge the status quo that we can truly make our mark.