Doha: Lionel Messi, the legendary player and captain of the Albicelestas, said that there are many similarities between the Argentina team that reached the finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the team selected for the 2022 World Cup. In an interview with the Argentinian national sports media, ‘Ole’, Messi also spoke about the importance of starting the matches with the best performance in Qatar.
Lionel Scoloni’s 26-man squad announced on Friday included all of Argentina’s key players, including Messi. Argentina, led by Messi, is one of the top favorites for the title in the Qatar World Cup. The player reiterated that the team will perform well in the match against Saudi Arabia in Group ‘A’. Argentina will face Saudi Arabia at Lucille Stadium on November 21 at 1 PM.
Argentina board the flight to Qatar unbeaten in 35 international matches, including the Copa America and Finalissima. “We have high hopes. They are realistic. It is well known that we are going through the best of times. But we know that this is the World Cup and it will be very difficult,” says the star.
“There are a lot of similarities between this team and the team that played in the 2014 final. There is a team that plays with the same passion and concentration in any match. It is very important for the team. I am convinced that I am fighting for the cup” – Messi pointed out.
“A 35-match unbeaten run is a great record. But we can break Italy’s 37-match unbeaten run if we achieve our goal of a world title. But we’re not thinking about this record right now. Bad matches can happen at times. “We are sure that we will overcome all of that,” Messi said.
This is a team that started from a big defeat. This group is formed after the defeat against Brazil in the semi-finals of the 2019 Copa America Championship. From there we rose. The team is preparing for the World Cup. We will overcome tough competition and advance. Also, Messi said that the pressure of Argentina’s unbeaten run is not a concern.