The impact of Lionel Messi on the Argentine national team was revealed in the words of his teammate Rodrigo de Paul. The midfielder, who plays for Serie A team Udinese, said the Barcelona star said he would "go to war"
Messi, 33, has captained the national team since 2011. Argentina has played in three finals in a row this time. But every time you have to return empty-handed - once from the World Cup and twice from the Copa America.
Messi retired from frustration after losing the 2016 Copa America final, but later changed his mind. His team did not do well in the 2018 World Cup.
After a long break, the record-breaking footballer of the year returned to the national team in May last year. He can play in international football until at least the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
De Paul has been a regular member of Lionel Scaloni's squad since the World Cup in Russia. He has seen Messi so closely.
At one time Messi was criticized for his calm and introverted nature. Some people thought that leadership was not right for him. De Paul said in a recent interview with FIFA that the idea was not correct.
“Of course everyone tries to take inspiration from him. When you start sharing something with him, you will see how white he is. He would rather talk about his little ones than talk about what you think of him or talk about how he was badly tackled in the Valencia-Barcelona match. ”
"If he is the captain, you will be ready to go to war with him."
Argentina will start the World Cup qualifiers on October 6 with a match in Ecuador. The two-time world champions will face Bolivia five days later. De Paul is also with Messi in the preliminary squad for these two matches.