To some people, perhaps even to many of them, or maybe just to me, Lionel Messi serves as a reference point for our time. They mark the passage of the years, in part, by Messi’s seasons and his goals and his trophies. In modern soccer history, his ascent, his prime and the imminent threat of his decline are standalone eras. And so normalcy would not return to the game, things wouldn’t feel like they were truly back to the way they were before, until Messi was back on a field, dominating hapless defenses.
On Saturday, in Mallorca, FC Barcelona played its first game since March 7.