"He finishes his career as an idol, not only as a player but as a person" - Argentina star makes heartfelt Lionel Messi claim

Lionel Messi's Argentina teammate Emiliano Martinez has heaped praise on the legendary forward for his character on and off the pitch. Martinez and Messi have been instrumental in La Albiceleste's run of three consecutive major international trophies.

Martinez shares a close relationship with the Barcelona legend and has, on multiple occasions, opened up about his admiration for the Maestro.

Speaking about the Inter Miami forward, Martinez told ESPN's Sofi Martinez (via @AlbicelesteTalk on X):

"Messi represents what an Argentine is. Family-oriented, he gives everything for his children and his wife. He loves football, he gives everything on the field. The example, the role model to follow is Messi. Being the most famous in the world, that he loves his family and takes care of his children as much as he does is a source of pride. He is the first and only player in history to complete the football. He finishes his career as an idol, not only as a player but as a person."

Lionel Messi will go down as one of, if not the, greatest players in the history of football. While he won every major trophy available at club level during his time at Barcelona, the only thing missing from Messi's cabinet was an international triumph.

In 2021, he guided Argentina to the Copa America title and followed it up by leading them to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title, completing football in the process.

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Rodrigo De Paul clarifies Lionel Messi's involvement in controversial team bus chants

Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul has clarified the role Lionel Messi played in the team's recent scandal. After La Albiceleste's triumph at Copa America 2024, Enzo Fernandez went on Instagram live to share the celebrations from the team bus.

In the video, the squad could be seen chanting racist and transphobic chants about the French national team, which led to widespread criticism and backlash.

Speaking about the incident, De Paul clarified that Messi played no part in the chanting and often told his teammates to avoid picking on anyone. He said (via GOAL):

"On the Colombian side they said that Messi and [Angel Di Maria] were no longer the same and we wanted to go and look for them as soon as we won. Leo told us: 'Nobody is going to pick on anyone, now we are going to celebrate'."

Lionel Messi wasn't on the team bus when the squad was seen engaging in the racist chants recorded by Enzo Fernandez.