Seeking the Magic of the Ever-Young Old Tree

The 2026 World Cup will be a farewell moment for a lineup of football stars: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luka Modrić, Antoine Griezmann, Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski, Kevin De Bruyne, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Neymar Jr (if he is called up). Some of them have officially announced the end of their international careers, while the rest remain media speculation due to age, now entering their mid-to-late thirties.

Interestingly, the emerging stars now competing for the throne once held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are actually devoted fans of the two GOATs. Erling Haaland and Alejandro Garnacho, for instance, have been Ronaldo fans since childhood until today. Premier League supporters can easily see how Haaland’s demeanor is deeply inspired by Ronaldo’s style: confident on the field and slightly arrogant. Garnacho even imitates CR7’s trademark celebration—including mocking rival supporters.

Lionel Messi is fortunate to be idolized by two young rising talents from Germany and Spain, Jamal Musiala and Lamine Yamal, who are currently under intense media spotlight. Musiala exhibits the traits of a young Messi—humble, yet endlessly showcasing agility and brilliance on the pitch. Meanwhile, Yamal, who currently plays for Messi’s former club, has recently drawn criticism from media and social media users due to behavior considered the complete opposite of the low-profile Messi.

Illustration: private collection

Sacred by Character

In Slavic Native Faith, pine trees are regarded as sacred because their nature serves as a guide to emotional resilience in all circumstances. Pine trees are evergreens—their leaves remain green through all seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Mature pine trees are generally stronger in extreme weather than young ones, which is why followers of this belief consider pine trees a symbol of hope when life is not going well.

However, philosophy alone is not what led a community of Slavic Native Faith practitioners in Baikal, Russia, to sanctify a pine forest in the area. Pine forests play a vital role in ecological sustainability due to their ability to absorb carbon. Older pine trees are known to capture more carbon and release more oxygen. Snow resting on pine needles melts gradually in spring, preventing sudden water flow that could cause flooding. Their roots help store and bind water, and some pine cones can only regenerate when the air temperature rises due to forest fires.

Russian researchers discovered a pine tree on Olkhon Island, Baikal, estimated to be 400 years old. Standing 20 meters tall—with a still-healthy trunk and 90% of its branches still regenerating—the ancient pine tree stands in the middle of a forest revered as sacred by the ancestors of the region. When the sacred forest was later converted into residential land and fish-processing factories, the old pine was preserved and declared a monument by NGOs, academics, and the Russian Federal Forestry Agency.

Forever Young

Reflecting on the story of the sacred pine tree on Olkhon Island, anything we love, respect, and care for sincerely will endure far longer, repaying what we have invested in it. This sacred tree continues to survive and demonstrate its strength despite its age, benefiting the surrounding ecosystem and the lives of the people nearby, until it was ultimately granted monument status.

Who knows what emotions are stirring in the hearts of Ronaldo and Messi now, as they approach what may be their final international tournament. They may continue to play a few more years at club level, although surely not as dazzling as during the peak of their El Clasico rivalry. Yet there are former football stars who have succeeded in new paths far outside the world of football.

Michael Owen, Manchester United’s young talent of the 90s era, found success in racehorse breeding. George Weah—who shone more brightly with AC Milan than with his national team during the same decade—went into politics after retirement and was elected President of Liberia. Meanwhile, Hidetoshi Nakata, one of the first Asian players in elite European clubs, retired early at 29 and made a successful career in the fashion world.

For many reasons, only few former footballers share the same fate. What exactly drives them to keep moving forward, like an old pine tree that continues to grow new branches, is something worth exploring further. (dswas)