5 Argentina players who publicly admire Lionel Messi

#3 Angel Di Maria

Di Maria has rescued Argentina many times

The man responsible for two of the most important trophies in Lionel Messi's career, Angel Di Maria famously scored in the finals of the 2008 Olympics and the 2021 Copa America. A Real Madrid veteran, Di Maria has openly stated his admiration for Lionel Messi, praising his compatriot on numerous occasions.

While speaking about Lionel Messi, the 116-time capped Argentina international stated:

"I always had the dream of playing with Messi in a club team. Every time we go to the Argentine national team, it seems very short. I always had the dream of playing with him, having him by my side every day."

Having played alongside the six-time Ballon d'Or winner at international level, Di Maria will now be seen partnering his Argentina team-mates at club level as well. Messi controversially joined PSG earlier this summer after the termination of his 21-year association with Barcelona.

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#2 Paulo Dybala

Dybala is working to return to the national setup

Another Argentina stalwart who grew up idolizing Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala has always been compared with his role model due to their similar playing style. The Juventus forward has been in and out of the Argentina squad lately, failing to solidify his place in the national setup.

Subsequently, Dybala has only shared the pitch with Lionel Messi, a paltry 12 times. Nevertheless, the baby-faced forward only had heaps of praise while talking about his childhood idol. Dybala recorded,

"Lionel Messi is an amazing player. He's the one that I look at and try to learn from. Since childhood, he's been my idol. I've always admired him and I still admire what he's doing. When you see him play, it's amazing. Luckily, I see him train everyday."

Following Cristiano Ronaldo's untimely departure from Turin, Dybala regained his position in the starting lineup. However, an unfortunate injury once again sidelined the 30-time capped Argentina international. At 27, Dybala still has time on his side to rescue his once-promising career and score more call-ups to the national setup to partner Lionel Messi.

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#1 Lautaro Martinez

Martinez is destined for superstardom

One of the hottest properties in football right now, Lautaro Martinez is the latest attacking superstar produced by Argentina. The Inter forward is on the radar of every top club, with his current contract set to expire in 2023. Martinez has been a long-term Lionel Messi aficionado, publicly naming him his idol. As quoted by Goal, the 24-year-old superstar had stated,

"The fact he's Argentinian is a source of pride for us and we always try to learn from him. For me, he’s on another level – he understands the game in a different way and he’s always a step ahead of everyone else."

Following in the footsteps of his Argentina team-mate, Martinez made his debut on the Ballon d'Or shortlist this year. The forward has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the past and could be the ideal heir to Lionel Messi's throne if anything materializes.

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