Lionel Messi, one of the greatest soccer players in the world, possesses a unique skill set that makes him a formidable force on the field. As the Inter Miami superstar, he is currently gearing up for Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifier games, with the first match against Uruguay.
Opposing defenders often find it challenging to face Messi, and one player had to acknowledge the inevitability of confronting the captain of the opposition.
Valverde’s straightforward Lionel Messi admission
The Uruguayan national team is set to face their Argentine counterpart on Friday on their soil. The La Celeste are second in the qualifying table and will definitely have a hard time beating world champions Argentina. They did get a historic win over Brazil in the last international break.
Messi’s longtime friend Luis Suarez could also be seen in the pitch, after being called up to the national team. Before the match, captain Federico Valverde was asked if he knows how to stop Lionel Messi. Valverde had faced Messi many times before, both with Uruguay and Real Madrid. They faced each other on the pitch regularly in La Liga when Messi was at Barcelona.
Valverde frankly replied he had no solution despite facing him many times, “I don’t know how to stop Messi, I could never stop him. He is one of the best players in the world. We had many Clasicos, and Casemiro was always a good weapon against Messi. You have to respect him because he is one of the best players in the world.”
Messi has not played a competitive game for around a month, and he will also play his first game since winning the Ballon d’Or, which he is expected to present to the fans.
Lionel Messi revives 1994 memories with Diego Maradona impression
Ahead of the game against Uruguay, Lionel Messi has evoked nostalgia by partnering with Adidas to launch Argentina’s Originals Football Collection. This collection features retro jerseys, with each national team they collaborate with receiving remade jerseys for sales.
In particular, the spotlight is on the 1994 Argentina away jersey from the World Cup, worn by soccer legend Diego Maradona. Messi shared images of himself donning this iconic jersey on his social media, paying homage to Maradona’s last appearance for Argentina before a doping ban.
Nevertheless, fans are ecstatic to get their hands on the iconic jersey and appreciate the look of Messi in them, evoking the memory of Maradona himself. Argentina will now face Uruguay on Friday at home before traveling to Brazil for the second qualifier game.
