Chris Barish is just about the nicest guy you can imagine, as well as a great storyteller who loves sports. He conceived of his new series, History’s Greatest Games, as a bridge between world events and cultures and the sports that entertain and impassion us. We caught up with him recently to talk about what he’s bringing to The Sparkle on Saturday, June 14 at 2pm—an afternoon of soccer trivia right in the midst of soccer’s golden hour, the World Cup, hosted this year by the United States. Part of the conversation will speak to writers and creators—how did Chris transform real events into a dynamic graphic novel? Here, we discuss fun facts and the dramatic tension that made Lionel Messi’s quest for glory in the 2022 World Cup a winning combination.
Donna:
We were so excited to see you book’s publication coincide with the United States hosting the World Cup! Can you give us a taste of the trivia you plan to bring?
Chris:
Yes, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Having the historic World Cup finals in our own backyard, literally just 20 miles away, is a once in a lifetime moment. The trivia in the book is sometimes silly, but always fascinating. For example, during a World Cup semifinal match in 1938, what ridiculous event occurred? A player’s shorts fell down during a penalty kick, a winger blasted a goal so hard that the ball popped, or a player’s shoe went flying into the net when shooting a goal? You’ll have to come to trivia on June 14 to find out . . .
Donna:
Or buy the book, I guess! Lionel Messi’s World Cup Triumph is the first in a planned series called History’s Greatest Games, which explores in detail the greatest sports stories but also offers social and historical context. How does a snapshot of the times heighten the intensity of Argentina’s historic World Cup win, with Messi at the helm?
Chris:
There were so many gripping storylines heading into the 2022 World Cup tournament, culminating in Messi’s historic triumph in the end! The World Cup was founded in 1930 during the depths of the Great Depression, a global economic crisis. In 2022, the world was just emerging from another international crisis, the Covid 19 pandemic. And soccer, time and time again, has served as a great unifier that transcends borders and connects cultures. Messi’s own personal narrative was so captivating too. He had to overcome the greatness of two iconic players to finally cement his legacy. One was only there in spirit: the Argentine superstar, Diego Maradona, who Messi was always compared to, but in the hearts of many of his countrymen, he could never live up to. Maradona had almost single handedly won a World Cup for Argentina back in 1986, whereas Messi had fallen short multiple times in his own quest. And beyond that, Messi had to go head to head against one of the greatest players alive in 2022, the young French upstart Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé and France had knocked out Argentina in the previous World Cup, and were returning to try to capture back to back trophies. So for Messi to truly be called the greatest ever, he HAD to win. And he did.
Donna:
We at The Sparkle are going to install a screen in the Snack Bar just for the World Cup. It’s going to be so great to have it in our time zone! What are your World Cup plans?
Chris:
I am SO excited to watch as many World Cup games as possible. My fourteen-year-old son is a huge soccer fan and avid player who knows far more about soccer than I do. We’ve been talking about it for months and I can’t wait to hang out with him and watch the matches together. More than anything I’m looking forward to seeing the drama unfold and follow the storylines along the way. Can Team USA advance out of the first round and then make some noise in the knockout stages? Can Argentina repeat? Will Messi add a second trophy to his collection? Will Mbappé and France make it back to their third title game in a row? Who will be the surprise Cinderella team of the tournament that nobody saw coming? My son’s favorite player is the amazing scorer named Erling Haaland from Norway, and it’ll be his first cup appearance. And that’s what I love about sports history. Every match, every season, every tournament, is an unscripted story that you couldn’t write any better.