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Lionel Messi has made a bold claim regardinghis place in the Argentina squad in reference to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. La Albiceleste won the biggest trophy in world football for the third time in their history with the left-footed wizard absolutely dominating the tournament.
Lionel Messi not only led Argentina to their third World Cup triumph but also won the World Cup Golden Ball for the second time for his exploits. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists in his seven appearances.
Argentina won 2-0 against Australia in a friendly game on Thursday, June 15 with Lionel Messi and German Pezzella getting on the scoresheet. Following the game, Messi insisted that he wouldn't be in the Argentine side anymore had they not won the World Cup in 2022. He said, as quoted by All About Argentina:
“To be honest, if we hadn't been the World Champions… I wouldn't be in the national team anymore.”
Lionel Messi was the only one of only three Argentina players to play in every single minute (690) of their World Cup 2022 campaign. The former Barcelona forward made 347 passes and five tackles. He also attempted 32 shots in the Qatar World Cup, leading the tournament's shooting charts ahead of Kylian Mbappe's 31.
He was also one of five players to provide three assists in Qatar and made 21 key passes, which was also the highest in the tournament. His tally of seven goals was only topped by Mbappe, who had eight to his name.
Ronaldo Nazario picks Lionel Messi as his 2023 Ballon d'Or winner
Brazilian icon Ronaldo Nazario has picked Lionel Messi as his winner for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award. The former Real Madrid forward has claimed that the Argentine icon deserves the award for leading Argentina to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. He said (via Albiceleste Talk):
“Messi deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. I think he will be crowned. He won the World Cup, which is a very big tournament.”
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner had a phenomenal World Cup campaign as he led Argentina to their third World Cup victory. The 35-year-old racked up seven goals and three assists in the tournament.
Messi also enjoyed a solid season for PSG, as he scored 21 goals and produced 20 assists in 41 appearances, helping them retain the Ligue 1 title.
