"All our comforts are thanks to him, he's the foundation of all this" - Argentina star admits he's afraid of Lionel Messi's eventual retirement

Argentina star Rodrigo De Paul admitted that he is afraid of the day superstar forward Lionel Messi announces his retirement from international football. He made the claim in an exclusive interview on American television channel Telemundo.

Messi holds a whole host of national team records, including most goals (108), most assists (57) and most appearances (182) among many others. With Argentina, he has won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2020 Copa America title, the 2022 Finalissima and most famously, the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

His legacy with La Albiceleste has inspired a whole generation of Argentine footballers including De Paul, who got emotional when asked about the 36-year-old's retirement.

The Atletico Madrid midfielder said (via All About Argentina on X):

"I’m scared of the day Messi is no longer with the national team. I always talk about it with him. Everything is easier with him. All our comforts are thanks to him. He is the foundation of all this. He always tells me: 'You can pick up the phone the day the national team needs anything and I will be there. I will always be a part of you.'"

De Paul has made 64 appearances for the national side, with 51 of them being alongside Messi. He is believed to be a close friend of the Inter Miami superstar and is frequently seen with him in training and in the lead-up to international fixtures.

"Everything he wants to do depends on him" - Rodrigo de Paul reveals Lionel Messi's competitive nature in training

Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul revealed superstar attacker Lionel Messi's competitive nature in training, in a recent exclusive with American channel Telemundo.

Speaking about how the ex-Barcelona icon controls the game during training sessions, the 30-year-old said (via All About Argentina on X):

"For us, everything we want to do depends on the situation: how the ball is given to you, the opponent, if they guess what you're going to do... Messi, everything he wants to do depends on him.

De Paul claimed that he was always the one who poked and instigated his superstar compatriot in training, and it never failed to bring the best out of him. He added:

"When we play small-sided games, I'm the one who messes with him the most, poking at him. I'm always on the other team. He's calm, and I start saying, 'Today it's impossible for you to beat me, today I win. I have a great team.' The loser has to serve the food. 'You know I'm going to make you serve the food today,' I tell him. And suddenly, he looks at me and says, 'Oh yeah?' He goes pim, pim, pim, and he wins. If he wants to win, he wins. We all depend on a lot of situations; he doesn't."

Argentina are set to take on Canada in the opening game of the 2024 Copa America on June 20.