“Even though we all wanted to see you lift the trophy” - Lionel Messi sends message to U20 Argentina team after they lose World Cup final 

Lionel Messi sends message to U20 Argentina team after losing World Cup final
Lionel Messi sends message to U20 Argentina team after losing World Cup final

Lionel Messi has sent an encouraging message to Argentina’s U-20 squad following their heartbreaking 2-0 loss to Morocco in the FIFA U-20 World Cup final.

Ad

Two first-half goals from Yessir Zabiri fired Morocco to victory, making them the second African country to win the tournament after Ghana, who won the 2009 edition. The Albicelestes had a decent run up until their loss in the final. They were one of the two teams that won all three of their group stage matches. They were also impressive in the knockout stages, keeping clean sheets against all their opponents, including a 4-0 demolition of Nigeria in the round of 16.

Ad

While Argentina were the better team in terms of possession, Morocco dominated the tactical side of the game and capitalized on every mistake by Diego Placente’s men. In the aftermath of the defeat, Lionel Messi took to his Instagram Story to share an emotional message, expressing pride and encouragement for the young Albicelestes who gave their all on the world stage but narrowly missed out on lifting the trophy.

"Keep your heads up, boys! You had an amazing tournament, and even though we all wanted to see you lift the trophy, we’re left with the joy of everything you gave us and the pride of seeing how you defended the sky blue and white with your hearts," Messi wrote.
Ad

Argentina are the most successful nation in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, winning the competition a record six times, and the only team to have won it consecutively on more than one occasion. Notably, Lionel Messi guided Argentina to win the U-20 World Cup in 2005, scoring a brace in the final to secure a 2-1 triumph for the Albiceleste.

A brief overview of how Lionel Messi fared in the 2005 U-20 World Cup with Argentina

The 2005 U-20 World Cup marked the first time Lionel Messi lit up the global stage. Then just 17-year-old, Messi started Argentina’s opener against the USA on the bench, but it didn’t take long for him to prove that he belonged on the pitch. After a 1-0 loss to the USA, Messi marked his debut start on the global stage with a goal to inspire Argentina to a 2-1 win over Egypt. A 1-0 win against Germany in their final group game saw them finish second in Group D.

Lionel Messi proved unstoppable in the knockout stages, as he was on the scoresheet from the round of 16 up until the final. His brace against in the final saw him register six goals in the tournament, which consequently won him the Golden Boot. He was also named the Best Player of the Tournament.

Quick Links

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications