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Argentina youngster Matias Soule has shared his experience of playing ping pong with Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul in the national camp.
Soule, 19, plays as a right winger for Juventus and has made 19 senior appearances for the club, scoring one goal. He is yet to make a senior appearance for Argentina but was called up to the team in November 2021 for their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Soule didn't make it to the squad for the showpiece event in Qatar but recently recalled playing ping pong against Messi and De Paul with Gaston Aliva. In an interview with TNT Sports, he said (via Infobae):
"They were playing and we approached them and asked if we could play. The truth is that at the moment you don't realize it, but then you start to think that you are playing with Rodri and Messi. It's inexplicable."
He added:
"They were shouting at us. Rodri told me: 'Isn't there a ping pong table there in Italy?'. They are very competitive, I remember that they sweated playing. He got spicy"
The duo are certainly competitive as was evident at the World Cup in Qatar. They fought hard alongside their teammates to help Argentina lift the prestigious trophy after 36 years.
Messi also won the Golden Ball, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in the tournament.
Rodrigo De Paul shares an anecdote Lionel Messi during 2022 FIFA World Cup
Rodrigo De Paul recently shared an anecdote that explains his bond with his national captain Lionel Messi.
He stated that after Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia in their first game at the 2022 World Cup, he had a long conversation with the Paris Saint-Germain man. De Paul said (via AS):
"During each concentration at 09:30 in the morning I knock on the door to drink mate... There was a talk after the game in Arabia, a day in which we were allowed to see the relatives but I decided not to see anyone because."
He added:
"He [Lionel Messi] had no humor, and the two of us were alone for 5-6 hours in which an environment was created in which we said everything. That talk was so strong and there were so many hours... And you see how it all ends."
Both players will now look to help Argentina lift the 2024 Copa America trophy.
