A Heartwarming Love Story: Honoring Her Late Husband's Dream
Lionel Messi's heartwarming journey: Fueled by love, he fulfills his late husband's dream as Argentina's captain, leading them to World Cup victory at Qatar 2022
Leading the Argentine national team to World Cup glory in Qatar 2022 fulfilled Lionel Messi's lifelong dream. And as he prepared to be interviewed by Argentine radio presenter Andy Kusnetzoff for "Perros de la Calle" show on Urbana Play in early 2023, Messi knew he was about to make someone else's dream come true.
Juliana Yatorno waits for a call from the other side of the world. She is at her house in Argentina and has no idea what is about to happen.
An idea to honor Messi
In 2018, Thomás, Juli's husband, crafted cards featuring Lionel Messi's face to distribute to thousands of people at the World Cup in Russia, expressing his deep admiration for Argentina's No. 10 and representing the nation's gratitude. "Thomás was incredibly resourceful and creative," recalls Juli, speaking to CNN Español.
One day, he approached me and proudly displayed a prayer he had written for Messi, adapting the Lord's Prayer to honor Messi's magical skills with the ball. He then asked, "Wouldn't you like to create a small card for me?"
Thomás was making plans to travel to Russia with his brother and cousin from Argentina to see the national team.
"He wanted to distribute them on the streets so that everyone could have a card. People would ask for one because it had a photo of Messi. I mean, who wouldn't want a photo of Messi?" Juli recounts.
The cards Thomás made for their trip to Russia.
Courtesy Juliana Yatorno
Guido, Thomás brother, also remembers that trip fondly.
"We've been soccer fans since childhood, and one day Thomy mentioned something to me about the trading cards," Guido informs CNN.
"We were on a fairly minimalist trip, with backpacks and carry-on luggage for traveling. A few days before our trip, he said, 'You'll be taking about 8,000 to 10,000 cards on the flight. The idea is for Messi to hear about this.'"
That year, Argentina was eliminated in the round of 16, though Thomás passion for Messi remain undiminished.
The cycle of life
After being together for ten years, Juli and Thomás finally tied the knot and started trying to have a baby. In 2020, Juli became pregnant, but tragically, Thomás passed away in a car accident soon after they received the happy news.
"We had a motorcycle, a scooter," Juliana remembers. "He had gone to play soccer with his friends and I didn't realize how late it had gotten. A friend called me in total shock and screamed: It's him, he's gone."
"That's how it was. Instantaneous. At first, I was concerned about my health. Being pregnant and in shock, I thought, 'No, I can't.' But then a realization sparked in my mind, and I thought, 'If he's gone, this is what I have left of his essence.'
Throughout the 2021 Copa America, Guido and Juli continued to grieve Thomás' death."
Messi guided Argentina to World Cup glory.
Guido explains, "At that moment, I couldn't. I needed to have some distance from the national team. It was as if I couldn't bring myself to watch something that was causing me so much sadness."
"I recall searching for the small cards I had saved and placing one behind the television. It was then, during the Copa America, that I embraced the idea and developed a new bond with the national team and my brother," Guido recounts.
On July 10, Messi secured the Copa America victory, marking the first time Argentina had won the tournament in many years. In the early hours of July 11, Juliana's water broke, and shortly after Messi's triumph, their son Aureliano was born.
These cards bring luck
For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Juli gave one of the cards to a friend and they began sending it to each other over WhatsApp as a kind of "good luck trick," she recalls.
I forgot to send the photo at the start of the game, but then sent it halfway through, and right after that, the team scored a goal. I felt the strong impact that the little card had, and I thought to myself, "I have to share this." While listening to the radio, I made the decision to write a letter and send it to everyone.
"I can't recall a more joyful moment with anything. I couldn't get him [Thomás] out of my mind and of course, I was ecstatic because we emerged victorious in the World Cup - and I was overjoyed for Messi. Yet, at the same time, it was like I was saying: I want to celebrate with you," Juli reminisces, adding that she shed tears when Argentina conquered France in the final.
Juliana and Thomás' son was born the day after the 2021 Copa America final.
Juliana Yatorno
"Juli, it's me," a familiar voice greeted.
Messi is on the other end of the cell phone, holding the little card that Thomy created five years ago with a shy smile.
"Sorry to tell you this, but I'm sure he saw me lift the World Cup somewhere," Messi says.
