A love story connected to football led a Belarusian pianist to pay an emotional tribute to Argentina's victory at the 2022 World Cup. This composition gained recognition among fans in Messi's home country.
Several years ago, Marwan Bachos, an expatriate from Lebanon living in Dubai, who had been a fan of the Argentine football team since he was nine, saw video clips on Instagram of a young Belarusian pianist, Lilia Bezmen. Since music was his second love, he constantly listened to her soulful renditions of classical pieces.
Marwan shared that he started following her Instagram page and became her admirer. However, the relationship, which evolved from a fan connection into something more, began against the backdrop of the chaos caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, which also affected Belarus. Lilia, who loved her country and did not plan to leave, accepted an invitation to come to Dubai because she was uncertain about the future. It was then that they met in person in June 2022 and started dating.
A few months after starting their relationship, something special happened in Marwan's life. He attended two group stage matches—Argentina versus Mexico and Poland—in Qatar during the World Cup, which the team featuring Lionel Messi ultimately won. Marwan noted that he has been a fervent supporter of Argentina since 1994, when Diego Maradona was excluded from the tournament due to a failed doping test. Since then, he has experienced many disappointments, including losses in the 2014 World Cup final, as well as in the 2015 and 2016 Cups, so he could imagine what it was like to see their first World Cup victory in 2022.
However, the most vivid memory of this tournament for him was not only Argentina's victory, which raised the famous trophy in Lusail Stadium, but also the fan song, 'Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar' (Boys, We Are Dreaming Again). This song is an ode to Argentina's identity as the land of Maradona and Messi, as well as a deep emotional attachment to football, fallen heroes of the Falklands War, and their bitter defeats in the World Cups.
In the lyrics, Maradona, who passed away in 2020, is depicted as a divine figure watching over Messi and his team, helping them achieve victory in the World Cup from heaven. When 50,000 fans sang this song at every match in the stadiums of Qatar, Argentina managed to recover from a shocking defeat to Saudi Arabia in the first match to win the next six games and secure the World Cup for the first time since 1986, when Maradona was the hero. Marwan still feels shivers from this memorable melody, the incredible passion of the fans, and the magical words.
When Lilia saw this passion, she understood that this song was special. Marwan witnessed this himself during the World Cup in Qatar—the song accompanied Argentina throughout the tournament and became part of the team's journey. Unable to forget the melody, Marwan asked Lilia to play it on the piano. She usually refused to play football songs because they rarely suit the piano, but this melody was different. She felt that people were singing it from the heart.
This convinced Lilia to try, although adapting it for the piano proved extremely difficult. She has a special talent for transforming music that seems impossible on the piano into something workable. They decided to wait until the start of Argentina's campaign at the 2026 World Cup and published the piano tribute to 'Muchachos' on Instagram one day before their opening match against Algeria.
Lilia's video playing 'Muchachos' in an Argentine jersey won hearts in Argentina. Lilia, being shy, lets her husband speak for her, but she admitted that she felt overwhelmed by the response from fans in Argentina. She noted how pleasant it was to see the support of the Argentine people for her work, and how happy she was that her creativity brought them joy.
Marwan emphasized that the support was not just related to it being an Argentine song. 'They sincerely appreciated that someone from another country took the time to play something that means so much to them,' he said. An analysis of Instagram showed that almost all interest came from Argentina, and comments came from all generations—from small children to elderly women and middle-aged men. Many wrote that they couldn't stop crying upon hearing the piano version, which was incredible for them.
Marwan, who married Lilia in 2023, explained what makes 'Muchachos' different from other football anthems. He believes the song belongs not only to the fans but also to the players, stadium supporters, and millions of people at home. In Argentina, there have long been debates about who is greater—Messi or Maradona. After Maradona's death, the song appeared at the perfect moment, presenting Maradona greeting Messi from heaven instead of a comparison.
For the video, Marwan, a jersey collector, arranged for Lilia to wear a Maradona jersey from the 1986 World Cup, with the 1994 home kit and the 2014 away kit hanging in the background as a poetic dedication to triumphs and defeats. Marwan added that the song carries the pain of all of Argentina's lost finals, the memory of Maradona, and the dream of a third star, while also remembering the soldiers who died in the Falklands conflict. All of this leads to that single triumphant moment in 2022.
Even after Argentina's victory, celebrations continued for weeks. Marwan watched these scenes on television and cried. Lilia asked why adult men were still emotional two weeks later, and then she understood that it was connected to something bigger than just football. During the World Cup, when Argentina's hopes hung by a thread after the first loss to Saudi Arabia, Messi's team grew throughout the tournament, winning one match after another until conquering the summit by defeating France in a thrilling final on December 18. Argentina's incredible journey also brought Marwan and Lilia closer, who met just a few months before the 2022 World Cup. Marwan concluded that during this World Cup, he was emotional and vulnerable, which played a big role in their closeness. 'Strangely enough, Argentina's story became part of our own love story. Now seeing such love for its piano tribute from Argentina seems surreal.'
