When one talks about Dhoni, Messi, and Tendulkar in the same sentence, it is bound to raise eyebrows. They have attained the status of legends in their respective sports. Some worship them as Gods. A unifying bond among all three is their honesty to the sport and humility at all times of their career. Millions of people across the globe follow them and their every action or statement is closely scrutinized by the press.
Argentina, a couple of days back won the Copa America tournament and Messi lay his hands on silverware. It was a long and arduous journey but the moment was finally here.
The entire nation erupted in joy and people across the world were happy for Messi. Them lifting the Copa America this year reminded a lot of cricket fans when Tendulkar and Dhoni joined forces to give India a World Cup win in 2011. We look at 5 similarities between Messi, Tendulkar, and Dhoni.
Winning after 28 years
India, before the 2011 win, had last won a cricket world cup in 1983. In the interim, India made it to the finals, quarters, and semis of various Champions Trophy and ICC World Cup but did not win. Similarly, Argentina also lifted their last major title in 1993 when they beat Mexico in the Copa America final. They twice lost the FIFA Confederations finals (1995, 2005), finished runners-up four times in Copa America (2004, 2007, 2015, 2016), and famously lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final. Dhoni and Tendulkar came together in the 2011 World Cup to help India lift the trophy after 28 years in 2011. Coincidentally, Messi too ended Argentina’s drought by winning the Copa America after 28 years, in 2021.
Club Loyalists
The one common factor between the three is their unwavering loyalty to their clubs in league sports. Messi has never played in a club other than Barcelona. Similarly, Tendulkar has only played for Mumbai Indians throughout his IPL career. Dhoni continued to play for Chennai Super Kings for his entire career till they got suspended. He is again back with the franchise.
Cool Nature
Dhoni is famous for being Captain Cool. He never lost his temper on the field and displayed immaculate character. Tendulkar throughout his career was soft-spoken and a thorough gentleman. He was never involved in any on-field incident. Similarly, Messi has only focused on his game and skill without being part of any theatrics on the field. Hardly has anyone seen Messi engage in unruly behavior. He has been cool and quiet, achieving glory on the way.
Family Men
All three of the modern-day greats married early on in their careers after substantial courtship periods with their partners. Messi married his partner Antonela Roccuzzo in 2017 when he was 30 years old. They met when they were children and he has been with her since he was 13 years. They now have three sons. Dhoni got married to Sakshi in 2010 after dating her for a couple of years. Incidentally, Dhoni also knew Sakshi when they were children as their fathers worked in the same company. Today they are married and blessed with a daughter. Sachin and Anjali too dated for 5 years before getting married in 1995. They, today have a son and daughter.
Country First
All three of them are strong patriots. Dhoni is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army and has never shied away from professing his love for the forces. He has served the army in Kashmir. He put his country first when he did not return to India at the time of the birth of his daughter and led India in the 2015 ICC World Cup. Tendulkar too is in the same category. He has always put India first and served the country with great distinction. He was a Member of Parliament as well as holds a rank of Group Captain in the Indian Air Force. Similarly, Messi was offered a position in the Spanish football team. He refused to play for Spain and stated that he would always play under the Argentinian jersey and flag.
