Lionel Messi would like Diego Maradona to hand him the World Cup trophy last month, but he doesn’t regret the time it took him to lead Argentina to football’s greatest trophy.
Messi inspired Argentina for their fourth World Cup in Qatar last year by winning the Ballon d’Or, scoring seven goals in the tournament, including two in the final against France.
Albicelesta’s triumph was their first in the competition since Maradona, who died in 2020, created his own series of mascots that propelled them to fame in Mexico in 1986.
During an interview in Paris with Andy Kuznetsoff, Messi said he regrets that Maradona, who coached him for the 2010 World Cup, was not alive to witness his crowning moment.
“I would like Diego to give me a cup or at least see it all, see Argentina as world champions, with everything he wanted and how he loved the national team,” Messi said.
“I think from above, he – like a lot of people who love me – were strong.”
While Messi had to wait until his fifth and likely last World Cup to lift the trophy, the legendary striker says his triumph came at just the right time.
“I think if I had to choose the moment, I would choose this one,” said Messi. “This is the end of my career, the closing of the cycle.
“I have achieved everything with the national team, as I always dreamed of. I got everything in my career, individually. It was a unique ending to my career.
“I never imagined that all this would happen to me when I started, and getting to this point was the best thing. I have no complaints and I cannot ask for more.
“We won the America’s Cup [in 2021] and the World Cup, there’s nothing left.”
In addition to several outstanding performances, Messi made headlines by taking on a more active role as Argentina’s leader in Qatar.
The Paris Saint-Germain star memorably celebrated a quarter-final goal against the Netherlands in front of Louis van Gaal before calling him “disrespectful” in a post-match interview, and also called striker Wut Weghorst a “fool” after the same. a game.
Messi admits he is not proud of his conduct in the tournament, adding: “I knew what Van Gaal said, but this [the celebration] happened spontaneously.
“I didn’t like what I did, I didn’t like what happened after. These are moments of nervousness, and everything happens very quickly.”