“His words make you go to the stadium and devour the opponent” - Argentina star on Lionel Messi’s speech before 2022 World Cup final 

Argentina goalkeeper Franco Armani recently spoke about the motivating speech that Lionel Messi delivered to his teammates before the 2022 FIFA World Cup final against France.

Messi scored a brace in the final, which ended 3-3 after extra time. La Albiceleste secured their status as the world champions with a win in the penalty shootout.

Speaking to TyC Sport, Armani recently discussed Lionel Messi's incredible leadership skills on and off the pitch. He said:

"Messi is an absolute leader inside and outside the locker room. I remember motivating speech before the final against France, his words make you go to the stadium and devour the opponent."

Armani added:

"The truth is, he deserved it more than anyone. It was the only thing he needed to put a final seal on his career. He left everything in each game. You saw him and you wanted to hug him and congratulate him on the victory dedication and camaraderie. He is a very humble person and open to everything."

Armani didn't play a single minute during the tournament, as Emiliano Martinez was in stellar form for Lionel Scaloni's team. Martinez was crucial in helping Argentina win their games against the Netherlands and France via penalties.

Armani said Martinez is a specialist in penalties. He lauded the former Arsenal star's prowess from the spot, saying:

"That is something natural to him that comes out at the moment on the pitch. In that, he did not share anything with us . I appreciate him very much, he is an excellent kid. I was very fond of him."

Argentina want Lionel Messi to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Argentina v France: Final - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Lionel Messi

Argentina's national team wants Lionel Messi to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, revealed Alexis Mac Allister. Messi will be 39 during the tournament in the USA and Mexico.

Mac Allister, however, stated that the rest of the team are keen to see Messi stay for the 2026 edition. He said (via GOAL):

“We don’t want him to leave the national team. He said he was going to be his last World Cup but we don’t want that. We want him to stay with us. He knows it. So let’s see what happens. He sent a message to us yesterday, wishing us a very good year. He was very grateful to us. After the game we couldn’t speak too much because we wanted to celebrate. I think we still don’t realise what we achieved, but in the next five or 10 years we will.”