“We didn’t talk about it. I didn’t see how he said it, or what he said. But many times we talked about it in Spain. We said ‘you know how difficult it would be for you to qualify for the World Cup if you had to go to play there: Colombia, the height, the heat , Venezuela…”he stated in an interview with the Argentine channel TyC Sports.
The strike partner of La Pulga Rosario in Paris Saint-Germain had stated that Argentina and Brazil do not play “high-level matches to reach the World Cup” and that “in South America, soccer is not as advanced as in Europe.” .
Messi (34 years old) responded first with a smile when asked about those statements that already deserved replicas from other South American players.
He immediately highlighted: “Everyone (in South America) has a different condition that makes it much more difficult and apart from that they are great teams, with great players”.
“Football is more equal every day. But Argentina can fight anyone. That does not mean that we are candidates” to the World Cup, said the striker.
Regarding the Finalissima European-South American Cup that the Albiceleste will play against Italy on Wednesday at Wembley, he praised the “azzurra” as a great “in the history of the World Cups.”
“The thing about Italy is crazy that they won the European Championship and are not in the World Cup. If Italy had been in the World Cup, they were one of the favorites. They had bad luck. Nobody would have wanted to meet Italy,” he stressed.
The leader of the Argentine team indicated: “It’s one more cup for us, we want to win it.”
The true story of how his tribute to Maradona was conceived
At one point in the interview, he said that he wanted to tell an unknown anecdote about his tribute of showing a Diego Maradona shirt at Newell’s, after scoring a goal, shortly after the idol’s death in November 2020 after a cardiorespiratory crisis.
Both Argentine idols played at different stages of their careers at that Rosario club. Maradona at the end and Messi when he was a teenager, before going to Barcelona.
“I was in bed with Antonella (his wife) the night before. ‘I have to do something for Diego, I have the museum at home, I’m going to see what’s there’. I went upstairs. Upstairs I have a little door that is always closed. We keep things there. And it was just openhad a halo of mystery.
Messi the story continued: “On top of a chair was the 10 with the Newell’s shirt. I don’t know what he was doing there. I didn’t even remember I had it. I thought of the National Team shirt, the 10. It was incredible”recounted about the ghostly apparition.
Regarding his adaptation to PSG and French football, he said that “it was a hard change” and that he left “crying” from his children’s first day of school in Paris, until the children settled in well because “they are phenomenal”.
About the covid-19, he said that it left him “aftereffects in his lungs” and that “it was a blow” the elimination in the Champions League against Real Madrid.
He said that the retired Sergio ‘Kun’ Agüero “is missed” by the whole squad and in particular by him, because he was his friend and partner in the concentrations.
About the controversy with the Pole Robert Lewandowski about who is more deserving of the international awards, he said: “Let him say what he wants, it doesn’t matter to me.”
Regarding Frenchman Karim Benzema’s candidacy for the Ballon d’Or, he said that “he had a spectacular year” and described the level of the French team as “impressive”.
Source: Ambito
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