The captain of the Argentine soccer team, Lionel Messi, pointed out that in all the World Cups the candidates are generally “the same”, but considered that Brazil, France and England “today they are a little above the rest“.
“We are very excited. We have a very nice group, who is looking forward to it. We plan to go little by little, the World Cup groups are never easy, we hope to start in the best way to face everything that comes after, but we are really looking forward to it.“Messi told the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).
The interview with Messi, published by Conmebol in the last hours, was recorded in September and is part of the cycle organized by the governing body of South American football called “The Sacred Game”, through which footballers like his compatriot Ángel Di María, the Uruguayan Federico Valverde and the Brazilian Neymar.
When asked to list the teams he believes capable of winning the World Cup in Qatar, leaving Argentina aside, the Albiceleste captain said that “when we talk about candidates in all the World Cups we always say the same ones.”
“There is always an appearance, some surprise, but generally the great teams are the candidates. If I have to put one above, I think that Brazil, France and England today are a little above the rest. But the World Cup is so difficult and complicated that anything can happen”, remarked the 35-year-old who is on the verge of his fifth World Cup, after participating in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.
For Messi, the current squad of the Argentine team is very similar, due to the good relationship between the players, who was runner-up in Brazil in 2014 and reached the finals of the Copa América in 2015 and 2016.
“The thing is that we weren’t lucky enough to win. We reached the finals and we couldn’t consecrate ourselves. Winning decompresses a lot, makes you work differently and makes people see you differently too,” he considered.
For Messi, “it was very unfair” with the players who reached those finals and could not become champions.
“Beyond not having been able to win, it was all the way, all the way. What the people enjoyed in the World Cup in Brazil they had never seen before. It was unfair because criticism already went beyond football, it was taken anywhere , the comments were very harmful,” he said.
Finally, he reiterated his wish that the 2030 World Cup can be held in South America, after the joint candidacy presented by Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile.
“I hope that opportunity is given and we can experience the World Cup in South America. They are special competitions. I hope it can happen,” he concluded.
EFE
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