Argentina captain Lionel Messi hailed his team’s fighting spirit after they booked a place in the FIFA World Cup final, saying the squad answered its critics on the pitch despite entering the tournament’s closing stages under intense scrutiny.
Speaking to TyC Sports after Argentina’s victory over England in the semi-final, Messi noted that the team never lost its belief, and even doubts surrounded its performances.
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“It hurts whoever it hurts, and let them say whatever they want — we proved once again on the pitch that nobody gives us anything,” Messi told TyC Sports.
“We came in under fire, with a lot of doubts around us, but I knew this group always competes. I was sure we were going to be among the final four and, thank God, we made it into the top two,” he added.
The victory secured Argentina’s place in the World Cup final, where the defending champions will now have the opportunity to retain their crown against Spain.
The result also marked Messi’s first-ever match against England, despite making 205 appearances for Argentina’s national team.
“If we had lost to England, people would’ve come out and said some nonsense about us, but we didn’t give them the chance. We were lucky enough to win, to get through this, with everything this match means,” the 39-year-old added.
Messi also paid an emotional tribute to Diego Maradona, saying the Argentine football legend would have loved this victory over England.
“We knew that football-wise we were better than them, but a lot is at stake when you play a match of this magnitude, when historical factors come into play. Still, it doesn’t stop being special because of everything it means, and we had to win it,” the Argentine captain said.
“Without a doubt, Diego is enjoying this immensely from up there because today was a very special day for him; to be able to give him this joy and for him to experience it however he wants from up there.”
“Let him enjoy it because it’s a gift for him too,” Messi said after his combined eight goals and four assists put him in sole lead of the Golden Boot race ahead of the final.
The 39-year-old has once again been the heart of Argentina’s World Cup campaign, contributing eight goals and four assists, the highest combined goal contribution in this tournament so far.
His performances have placed him at the top of the race for the Golden Ball, which will be awarded to the competition’s best player.
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