# Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend (2024)

> Lionel Messi reflects on his five World Cup campaigns, building to the 2022 championship triumph.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/154776

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 4
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary
- Network: Apple TV
- Cast: Lionel Messi, Mariana van Zeller, Lionel Scaloni, Gary Lineker, Roger Bennett, Gastón Edul, Enzo Fernández, Rodrigo De Paul
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27972462/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: reflective, celebratory, intimate, triumphant, emotional

## What critics say

Audience reception is strongly positive, praising the intimate access to Lionel Messi and the retrospective account of his World Cup career.

## Synopsis

Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend (2024) is a four-episode American sports documentary miniseries created for Apple TV and rated TV-14. Lionel Messi anchors the story himself, speaking candidly on camera about his five World Cup campaigns and the personal pressures of carrying his national team. Interviews with his coach Lionel Scaloni, his teammates Enzo Fernández, Rodrigo De Paul, Ángel Di María and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, and the presenter Mariana van Zeller help frame each tournament, while commentators Gary Lineker and Roger Bennett add broadcast perspective. The engine is the long wait for a trophy that seemed to slip away, told through match memories and the emotional toll of near misses. Each episode moves through a different stage of the journey, building toward the 2022 championship run in Qatar. The atmosphere is reflective and celebratory, with moments of doubt and relief. Fans of The Last Dance, Drive to Survive and Maradona by Kusturica will find resonance in its intimate athlete portrait, sports pageantry and national pride. It suits viewers who love football history and personal sporting stories.

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