World Cup winner Messi's major Qatar regret

1 year ago 38

World Cup victor Lionel Messi regretted his testy exchanges with the Netherlands manager and players during their arguable quarterfinal successful Qatar, helium said successful an interrogation aired connected Monday.

Messi gave his archetypal interrogation since lifting the trophy successful December to vigor Urbana Play of Buenos Aires. The Argentina skipper spoke astir the feisty clash with the Dutch which the South Americans won successful a punishment shootout. A grounds 17 yellowish cards were issued, including 1 to Messi for dissent.

When Messi scored from the spot successful regular time, helium stood successful beforehand of Dutch manager Louis van Gaal and cupped some hands to his ears. After the game, helium gesticulated to the Dutch seat and insulted striker Wout Weghorst, who scored doubly successful regulation.

Australian fans bowled implicit by World Cup final

“I don't similar what I did, I don't similar what happened afterward,” Messi said. “These are moments of a batch of tension, a batch of nerves. It is precise speedy and radical respond the mode they react. Nothing was planned, it conscionable happened.”

That quarterfinal was surrounded by controversy. Before the encounter, Van Gaal said his players were amended prepared than their rivals for a punishment shootout. He besides said “Messi did not interaction the ball” successful the semi-final betwixt the teams successful the 2014 World Cup; Argentina besides won that necktie successful a punishment shootout.

Messi said his teammates told him what Van Gaal said to stimulate him.

About his infinitesimal with Weghorst, Messi said it was “natural.”

“I reacted that way. There had been galore things with this player, moments of hostility similar these . . . I was astatine the mixed zone, it had conscionable happened,” Messi said. “I don't similar to permission that image, but these things happen."

Messi besides said Argentina “in wide was amended than its rivals” and picked Mexico, its 2nd radical hostile arsenic “the toughest.”

Brazilian shot fable Pelé dies

“It was the worst lucifer we played due to the fact that of each the things progressive successful winning it oregon not," Messi said. Argentina mislaid its opener to Saudi Arabia 2-1 successful 1 of the biggest shocks successful World Cup history, and had to bushed Mexico to enactment successful playoffs contentions. Mexico was beaten 2-0.

Messi said helium has not watched the last against France. Argentina won the last connected penalties to triumph its archetypal World Cup rubric since 1986.

“Since that day, everything changed for me," helium said. “By luck, what we dreamed astir truthful overmuch happened. I wished that truthful overmuch successful my vocation and, astatine the end, it came.”

Asked what helium would archer Messi successful his puerility if helium could, the prima said: “Something bonzer awaits, you can't imagine. You volition person a beauteous path, with immoderate pugnacious moments that you volition person to overcome, but ne'er springiness your dreams distant due to the fact that astatine the extremity you volition get your astir desired reward. Your movie volition person a blessed ending.”

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here