“Where Is Messi?” An Application of Semiotic Square Analysis

Abstract

The 2022 FIFA World Cup captivated audiences worldwide, prompting the now-famous query: “Where is Messi?” This study delves into the essence of enunciation, employing the semiotic square as an analytical framework (Greimas and Rastier 1968; Greimas 1989), in conjunction with enunciation theory (Marrone 2022). It elucidates the diverse entities represented within the square, revealing the perpetual interplay between Western and Eastern junctures as discernible in both discourse and context. The study illuminates the linguistic and metalinguistic dimensions of the semiotic square by examining the dialectic of complementary entities and the dynamic opposition between contraries. The findings demonstrate the significance of the enunciation theory in the articulation of a match commentator and its pivotal role in social and cultural practices across the Arab world. Through the prism of the semiotic square, this study illustrates the hyper-signification of distinct elements: inter-linguistic versus intra-linguistic, inter-textual versus intra-textual, and inter-discursive versus intra-discursive, which are explicated and identified as exerting a profound influence on the sociosemiotic immanence inherent in any social context.