Messi: Argentina is not a World Cup favourite, but not afraid of anyone

2022-10-21 17:51

Messi: Argentina is not a World Cup favourite, but not afraid of anyone


The 2022 Qatar World Cup is about to kick off, and Argentina, led by Messi, is undoubtedly one of the most popular teams. As Argentina's current leader, Messi tries to keep his cool: The World Cup will be a tough tournament, he told DirecTV's Pablo Giralt. But he also said that the Argentine team is ready and not afraid to compete with any team.


"The World Cup is very tough"

"For us, it's hard to calm down (for the World Cup). I'm speaking as a nation, as a country, and as an Argentine. We always seem to be the best team, always seen as favorites, but the reality is It hasn't always been like this," Messi confided to Giralt.


"People are excited, they are looking forward to it, they are convinced that we will come back with a trophy. It is not the case, because the World Cup is a difficult competition. You have to do a lot of things to be champions. There are many teams with the same goals as us. , if we don't play well, other teams will be better."


"We're going to fight"

"But we do have a big dream and everyone is excited," Messi laughed. "We're in a great moment as a group... We're looking forward to it. We're going to fight. We may not be the biggest title favorites, but we're not afraid of anyone. We're ready to fight anyone. But calm down ."


Favourites to win the World Cup

Messi also expressed his opinion on the favorite team to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. "At the moment, there are many great teams that are capable of winning titles, such as Germany, Brazil, France, England, and Spain. If I had to choose two teams, I think Brazil and France are the biggest favourites to win this World Cup," he said.


"France didn't do well in the last European Cup, but they still have some impressive players like Mbappe, my teammate at Paris Saint-Germain. They have a very clear tactical mindset and the same coach. Brazil is also like this."


On Dybala and Di Maria's injuries

This World Cup was held in the league halfway for the first time, causing many players to be injured due to the tight schedule. So far, there have been many injuries in the Argentina team, including Messi, Dybala, Di Maria, and Lo Celso. Messi also felt deeply about this: "This is a different World Cup. The time of the event is different from the previous one. The schedule is too tight, and we may miss the World Cup because of any small thing."


"Dybala and Di Maria are both injured, which is really worrying. But I think they have enough time to get fit and I hope they are back before the World Cup."


"I had muscle cramps the other day, so I had an MRI that didn't find anything wrong. But as a precaution, I stopped and decided to rest for a few days."


after the World Cup

In a previous interview with ESPN's Star+ program, Messi confirmed to reporter Sebastian Vignolo that 2022 will be his last World Cup. In this interview, Messi told Giralt that he may make another decision after the World Cup.


"My body feels really good at the moment, better than when I first came to Paris Saint-Germain last year. When I say 'this is the last World Cup', it's a matter of logical age. After the World Cup, we'll see what happens. It all depends on how I feel and my physical condition," Messi said.