It was the poster hoped for at the start of the tournament. Argentina faces Brazil overnight on Sunday, jet lag forces. In the Maracana, it will be Star Wars. Brazilian star Neymar and the Argentinian star Lionel Messi, friends since their years together at FC Barcelona, will do everything to try to lift their first trophy in the selection.
A unique opportunity therefore, which could prove to be an important asset in the race for the Ballon d’Or, the outcome of which this year will be more open than ever. This galactic confrontation between the two big favorites of the tournament will be played exceptionally with the public – limited however to 10% of the capacity of the enclosure.
And too bad if “ney” and “Leo“have nourished a sincere friendship since the Brazilian’s four seasons at Barça (2013-2017).
“I’ve always said, (Messi) he’s the best player I’ve ever seen play. He’s a great friend, but we are in the final, we are rivals now and I want to win, I want to get this title because it would also be my first“, said “ney“Injured, he missed the Copa America-2019 won by Brazil.
“When you have a friend who is going to be your opponent, it ends up being hard to forget about the friendship. But even when you are playing with your friends, you want to beat them by all means. Saturday it will be“, added the Paris SG player.
For Messi (34), this final is one of the last opportunities to win a title with Argentina. And the striker of theAlbiceleste is just plain monstrous right now. He is currently the tournament’s top scorer and passer with 4 goals and 5 assists.
–
In addition to having shared the same locker room, the two friends have in common repeated failures in major international competitions.
This final is, for the six-time Argentinian Ballon d’Or, the opportunity to break the curse after four lost finals (World-2014, Copa America 2007, 2015 and 2016) and to put an end to the endless famine of his country, which hasn’t won a trophy since the 1993 Copa America.
Neymar (29), often overtaken by injuries, always tries to forget the affront of 2014, when Brazil had suffered, at home, the greatest humiliation in its history (7-1) in the semi-final against the ‘Germany, in the absence of his prodigy touched on the back.
Both nonetheless have an Olympic gold medal, won in 2008 for the Argentine and in 2016 for the Brazilian, who also won the Confederations Cup in 2013.
At Barça, the two world football superstars formed one of the duos – then trios, with the arrival of Luis Suarez placeholder image – the most prolific in history, compiling goals and assists to give the Catalan club its fifth Champions League in 2015, accompanied by two Spanish league titles (2015, 2016) and three Copa del Rey (2015, 2016) , 2017).
“To speak of Messi and Neymar is to speak of excellence, of technical, mental, physical qualities, of great creativity. It’s a big challenge, a big show“, said the Brazilian coach Tite.
Neymar will find his friend, and mentor, on a pitch for the first time since leaving FC Barcelona in 2017. He also assures him that “only think about victory“.
“Today Argentina has, with Messi, one of the best players in its history. I think it would be a good thing for the film at the end of my career. It’s a final that everyone was hoping for, and that I’ve always dreamed of playing …“, concludes the Brazilian.
–
