Antonela Roccuzzo Fuels Messi Retirement Talk After Argentina's 1-0 World Cup Final Loss

Q: How does USC Football's marketing team keep celebrating its own mascot's historic defeat in hype videos?

USC Football’s marketing team keeps doing it by using famous Trojan War imagery without accounting for what those stories actually mean: they depict Troy’s defeat, not its triumph. The latest example was an “Odyssey-themed” hype post promoting the 2026 season with the line “Our Odyssey begins August 29.” But Homer’s *Odyssey* is set after the Trojan War, when Troy has already fallen and the Greek hero Odysseus is trying to get home. For a team called the Trojans, invoking that story effectively celebrates the aftermath of its mascot’s destruction. This followed an earlier blunder before the 2024 season, when USC released a Trojan Horse-themed hype video showing players emerging from the horse and charging into battle. In the original myth, the Trojan Horse was not a Trojan weapon or symbol of victory. It was the Greek ruse that allowed enemy soldiers to enter Troy and destroy the city. Using it as a rallying image again turned a symbol of Trojan defeat into school branding. Critics say the pattern suggests the department is prioritizing dramatic visuals and pop-culture recognition over basic historical accuracy. Ancient-history observers have pointed out that both the *Odyssey* and the Trojan Horse are among the clearest possible symbols of how the Trojans lost. That is why the posts drew ridicule: USC is repeatedly framing its own namesake’s downfall as a source of hype.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 21

Antonela Roccuzzo posted a tribute to Lionel Messi on Instagram after Argentina's 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final, calling him "always the best" and praising him for fighting "until the very last second."
That message intensified retirement speculation because it followed Messi's own emotional post thanking teammates, coaches and staff and reflecting on "the whole journey" with Argentina.
At 39, Messi has not announced any decision, and earlier this year he said he would keep playing "until I can't anymore," leaving open whether he could try for the 2030 World Cup at 43.
The speculation centers on whether the defeat to Spain marked Messi's final World Cup appearance after he fell short of a second straight title with Argentina.

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Antonela Roccuzzo Fuels Messi Retirement Talk After Argentina's 1-0 World Cup Final Loss

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