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Argentina defender Nicolas Tagliafico has explained that La Albiceleste skipper Lionel Messi's humility aids his leadership ahead of their 2022 FIFA World Cup opener.
Messi and Argentina will begin their campaign in Qatar on Tuesday, November 22, against Saudi Arabia. Mexico and Poland are the other two teams they will face in Group C of the World Cup.
Lionel Scaloni's side are among the favorites to go all the way in this year's tournament. Lionel Messi's performances and leadership will undoubtedly be one of the defining factors if they are to win their first FIFA World Cup since 1986.
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Messi is often seen as a leader who prefers to do his talking with the ball at his feet. Tagliafico has stated that the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward's simplicity and humility, as well as his quality on the pitch, all contribute to his leadership style.
The Lyon defender told L'Equipe (as quoted by Get French Football News):
“When you speak with him, you get the impression he’s just another player. But when you see what he can do with the ball, it’s incredible. We’ll be able to tell our grandkids we played with the greatest ever.
“That simplicity helps us stay humble. He doesn’t need words, he sets the example.”
Tagliafico added that winning the 2021 Copa America with his national team has held Messi in good stead ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup:
“It’s also with maturity, experience, the fact that he’s a father. When you go play in the national team with the feeling that you owe something, you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself. People will always want more, but the fact that he’s won something has allowed him to free himself.
“He can make the most of it and he’s in top form.”
The Argentina captain was in sublime form prior to the club season entering a World Cup-induced break. In 19 matches for PSG, Messi scored 12 goals and laid out 14 assists to help them stay unbeaten across all competitions.
How did Lionel Messi and Argentina fare at the 2018 FIFA World Cup?
Argentina will enter the 2022 FIFA World Cup on a 36-match unbeaten run and as a much more cohesive unit than they did in the 2018 edition of the tournament. La Albiceleste never really settled under former manager Jorge Sampaoli, who simply didn't know how to maximize Lionel Messi's strengths.
The South American giants stuttered through their qualifying campaign and then in the group stages in Russia as well. They drew 1-1 against Iceland, with Messi missing a penalty, and lost 3-0 to Croatia in their first two games.
With the team needing a result against Nigeria, the PSG superstar stepped up to score his first goal of the 2018 FIFA World Cup as they won 2-1.
However, Argentina's journey ended in the very first knockout stage. They endured a 4-3 defeat against eventual winners France, though Lionel Messi recorded two assists in that game.
