Lionel Messi’s national team, Argentina, are the reigning World Cup Champions. They won the 2022 Qatar World Cup after a nail-biting match against Kylian Mbappe’s team, France.
The match went on to the penalties after a breathless 3-3 draw in normal and extra time.
Lionel Messi delivered on the biggest stage of football with two goals. Meanwhile, Mbappe scored all three goals for France but failed to secure the World Cup as his side lost on penalties.
In a recent interview with ESPN, the World Cup winner was asked whether there could be a repeat of Qatar in the upcoming 2026 World Cup. While the player responded to the question, he also highlighted the fine margins of the game and how those things might change things in a moment.
Lionel Messi Believes Luck Was On Their Side Last World Cup
The former Barcelona player shared that luck had favored them immensely in the last World Cup final, despite them already being superior throughout the game.
While talking about whether his side would be able to repeat their triumph in the next World Cup, Messi shared, “Can what happened in Qatar be repeated? Yes, I believe it’s a group that will try again, and will give everything and fight.”
However, he reminded the fans that in the World Cup, even a small nation can knock out a big nation by a slight margin. He explained, “The World Cup is very difficult; any team can make things tough for you and eliminate you. The ball might hit the post and go out, or hit the post and go in, and just like that, your journey ends or you lose on penalties.”
He concluded, “In the last World Cup, luck was on our side. Even though we were greatly superior in our matches against the Netherlands and France, we ended up going to penalties, and then we had the beast as a goalkeeper who made us win. But it can happen that you reach penalties and don’t win, it’s very hard to win the World Cup.”
Argentina Won The 2022 World Cup 4-2 On Penalties
The World Champions started their 2022 World Cup campaign with a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia. However, the early setback galvanised the squad, igniting an unbeaten run through the knockouts and beyond.
In the finals, they beat France in a 4-2 penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw after extra time. Argentina’s third World Cup came after 36 years since their second one in 1986.