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Portugal and Real Madrid legend Luis Figo has hailed Lionel Messi as one of the best players of all time ahead of Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia.
Argentina will face Saudi Arabia in their first group-stage match of the FIFA World Cup today (22nd November). They will be hopeful of getting their campaign off to a winning start at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
La Albiceleste go into the match on the back of a 36-match unbeaten run and will look to keep it intact this afternoon. Having won the Copa America last year, they have arrived in Qatar high on confidence.
The tournament could also be Lionel Messi's FIFA World Cup as he nears the end of his career. Argentina thus appears to be motivated to go all the way and get their hands on the trophy this time.
All eyes will be on the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar when Lionel Scaloni's men take to the field today. It is no different for former Portugal and Real Madrid forward Figo.
Speaking ahead of the match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia, Figo waxed lyrical about Messi. The Portuguese icon believes the 35-year-old is one of the greatest players of all time and labeled him the best player of the last decade. He said on the Indian television channel Sports 18:
"Messi is one of the greatest players of all time, and the best player of the last decade."
Messi will be focused on getting Argentina off to a winning start at the 2022 FIFA World Cup today. He will undoubtedly be integral to the team's chances of winning the tournament as well.
Lionel Messi has gone into the FIFA World Cup in good form
Lionel Messi was in red-hot form for French giants PSG ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Argentina fans will be hoping that he can produce similar performances in Qatar over the next few weeks.
The forward has made 19 appearances across all competitions for Les Parisiens this season. He found the back of the net 12 times and provided 14 assists for his teammates in those matches.
No PSG player has registered as many assists as Lionel Messi in all competitions this season. The Argentinean is also their third top scorer this term behind Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Like the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, Mbappe and Neymar have also gone to Qatar with the hopes of winning the World Cup. France and Brazil are considered strong candidates to win the competition, alongside Argentina.
