“Always among the best”
Lionel Messi opens up about the German World Cup debacle
12/05/2022 13:02
A sensitive failure at the beginning that unites the German national team and Lionel Messi’s Argentines at the World Cup. But then they separate: Argentina is in the quarter-finals, the DFB has long since returned home. Much to Messi’s surprise.
Superstar Lionel Messi didn’t expect the Germany national football team to fail again at the start. “Yes, I was surprised,” the 35-year-old Argentine captain, who had already failed three times at the World Cup against the German team during the Messi era, told Argentine sports newspaper ‘Olé’. This time the South Americans have already reached the quarter-finals, the DFB team had to leave after falling out of the group. Germany have “many important players” and a young team.
“And Germany is always among the best,” said Messi, who failed in the quarter-finals in 2006 and 2010 and in the final in 2014 against the German side. He is surprised by the fact that they didn’t reach the last 16 like in 2018, but he also shows how difficult this World Cup is “and that the name of a team is not important”.
Messi had traveled to Qatar with his Argentines after 36 games without defeat just before setting the world record (37 from Italy). In the first group game, the South Americans were embarrassed and put themselves under pressure with a 2-1 draw against outsiders Saudi Arabia. This was followed by a 2-0 win against Mexico and a 2-0 win against Poland, and they qualified for the round of 16 as group winners. Argentina beat Australia 2-1 in the round of 16, which ended with France four years ago.
Despite Messi’s prominent role and position, manager Lionel Scaloni has evidently managed to shape a team and put together a team that can develop positive momentum even after a setback, united and supported by the thousands of fans who traveled there. Unlike the German team.
