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For thirty-six long years, Argentina—a country with one of the richest fútbol legacies and arguably the greatest player of all time—remained without a major international title. Despite Lionel Messi’s extraordinary talent and record-shattering achievements, trophies with the national team remained elusive. That is, until everything changed.
In 2021, Argentina won the Copa América. Then, in 2022, it lifted the World Cup in Qatar. In 2024, Argentina rose with another title: the CONMEBOL Copa América. The transformation didn’t happen because of one player. It happened because of a team, a culture, and a new kind of leadership.
From the world of soccer to the boardroom, the journey of the Argentinian soccer team offers powerful insights for any leader or organization navigating change, managing talent, and pursuing sustained excellence.
1. Not Even the Best Can Win Alone—Unity Does
Messi was dazzling. For years, he was surrounded by world-class teammates. And yet, for decades, Argentina came up short. What changed wasn’t the roster—it was the culture around the team.
Under coach Lionel Scaloni, Argentina built a culture of humility, collaboration, and emotional intelligence. Ego, competition, and territoriality were replaced by unity. Individuality was replaced by a sense of belonging to a collective that had a clear goal: Be next to Lionel Messi when he lifted the only missing trophy in his vast collection of accomplishments: a World Cup. Veterans and newcomers alike bought into a shared mission that had far more power than individual glory.
Business Lesson
Star performers can’t carry a company if the culture is fractured. Sustainable success demands shared ownership, clarity of purpose, and emotional cohesion behind one big goal. Not for the glory of one person but for the glory of the collective. Unity is good for business.
2. Leadership Is Not About Titles or Pedigree—It’s About Radical Trust
Messi, once silent and reserved in national colors, became a different kind of leader. He no longer led through performance alone but also with heart, voice, and presence. His teammates, some of whom grew up dreaming about meeting him in person one day, didn’t just admire him; they followed him and radically trusted him. Over time, these players also took their space and displayed more confidence in expressing their voices.
Coach Scaloni, too, showed that leadership isn’t about pedigree (he had never coached at the senior level). He showed that emotional intelligence, adaptability, and trust-building were key for the collective to perform at its highest level.
Business Lesson
Influence doesn’t come from job titles or résumés. It comes from trust, relatability, and authenticity. The most effective leaders today are authentic and vulnerable, and they know how to ignite a deep trust that creates spaces where professionals take risks to express their voices, contribute their unique ideas, and challenge the status quo. Radical trust is good for business.
3. Pressure Can Crush or Unite—It’s a Choice
No team in modern sports faced more pressure than Argentina in the 2022 World Cup. After the team lost its first match to Saudi Arabia, most counted Argentina out. But the team didn’t unravel. It reset. It regrouped. And it showed the world what mental resilience looks like. After that unexpected defeat, Messi had one message to his fellows Argentinians watching the game back home: “Trust this team.”
Business Lesson
High-pressure environments either fracture teams or forge them into something unbreakable. The difference lies in how leaders inspire trust, frame adversity as an opportunity to regroup and come back better and stronger, and how teams respond collectively. Resilience is good for business.
4. Mission and Purpose Unlocks Performance
For Messi and Argentina, the 2022 World Cup was about more than fútbol. It was about identity, redemption, legacy. The locker room wasn’t just chasing trophies; it was carrying the hopes of a nation—and rewriting a story with a very clear mission in mind.
When players like Emiliano Martínez, Rodrigo De Paul, or Ángel Di María stepped up, it wasn’t just skill. It was purpose.
Business Lesson
People perform at their highest level when they are connected to something bigger than themselves. Great leaders learn to cultivate mission-driven momentum, not just metrics-driven performance, and they ignite a sense of purpose in those around them. A sense of purpose is good for business.
5. Legacy Is Built Through Collective Courage
Messi’s redemption wasn’t his alone. It was built by every player who dared to believe again. Every leader who stepped into the unknown. Every fan who kept the faith. Argentina’s victory was a mosaic of hope—a sense of hope so deep that it took courage to keep it going.
Business Lesson
Legacy isn’t created in isolation. It’s the result of courageous collaboration. The best organizations understand that success isn’t just what you win—it’s how you win and who you bring along with you, all with a deep sense of possibility and faith. Hope is good for business. And it takes courage to hope again.
The Argentinian soccer team reminded us that, in a world obsessed with individual brilliance, true greatness is achieved through collective excellence—through surrendering personal glory to the highest good of all, and advancing with passion, purpose, and hope: skill set, mind, and heart all combined and equally important.
In business, as in soccer, legacy is not just about being the brightest star or the first to break barriers for yourself or your community. It’s about building a constellation of stars—individuals who trust one another, share a mission, and rise together.
It’s about opening doors, lifting others as you climb, and eventually stepping aside—just as Messi may soon do—to let the next generation shine even brighter. That is how we create legacies that endure. That is how we win together.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Hispanic Executive or Guerrero Media.
Valeria Aloe is a speaker, award-winning author, and founder of Rising Together, known for her powerful work in mindset transformation, confidence building, and leadership development. She is the author of Uncolonized Latinas and Unbeatable Latinas, two critically acclaimed books that challenge cultural conditioning and inspire professionals to lead from authenticity and purpose.
With over twenty years of experience in brand management, business development, and finance, Aloe has held leadership roles at global organizations including Procter & Gamble, Citibank, Reckitt Benckiser, TIAA, and PwC. In 2018, she launched Rising Together, a speaking and leadership development firm dedicated to unlocking human potential.
Aloe’s contributions have been widely recognized. She was awarded the 2024 Trailblazer Award by Latina Style, named one of the Top 100 Latinas in the US by Latino Leaders Magazine in 2023, and honored as one of New Jersey’s Top 50 Women in Business in 2020.
She holds degrees in business administration and finance from Universidad Católica Argentina, an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, and a master’s in Spiritual Sciences. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in spiritual sciences (June 2025 graduation).
