"Not going to win it now at 35" - Paul Merson makes damning Lionel Messi and Argentina prediction

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, renowned football pundit and Arsenal legend Paul Merson has given his take on Lionel Messi's World Cup ambitions with Argentina and the team's performance against Saudi Arabia.

The reigning Copa America champions slumped to a stunning 2-1 defeat in their opening game against an inspired Saudi Arabia side. With the Asian nation maintaining a strict high line and pressing with incredible intensity, the Argentines struggled to break their opponents down and were caught offside on numerous occasions.

According to Paul Merson, the Argentines still rely heavily on Lionel Messi and are unlikely to win the World Cup.

“Argentina are definitely reliant on Messi. He never won it at 26 and 30, and he’s not going to win it now at 35. He used to play with better players than the ones he has around him now.”

“Wherever you play – at the World Cup, the Premier League, or at the park on a Sunday morning – you’re only as good as the players around you. Messi has no service. Argentina are a paper team – they look decent on paper. I thought they’d done enough against Saudi Arabia the other night. My worry is that they had 30 minutes in the second half to equalize, and they couldn’t.”

Lionel Messi found the back of the net from the penalty spot in the first half as Argentina enjoyed a fairly comfortable first half. The second half witnessed a sensational comeback, with Saudi Arabia storming past the South Americans in a five-minute span to secure a historic 2-1 victory.

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Paul Merson backs Argentina to top their group despite Saudi Arabia defeat

The Albicelestes struggled against Saudi Arabia

With Mexico and Poland in their group, Lionel Messi's side has difficult tests ahead of them in the 2022 World Cup. The two teams played out a 0-0 draw this week in a match that saw Guillermo Ochoa save a penalty from Robert Lewandowski.

“I still think they’re going to top their group. Mexico vs Poland was a poor game, and I thought Mexico got lucky with the penalty. Argentina have got to go all guns blazing now. They’ve got to have a swing – it’s win or go home."

Lionel Messi and his side play their next World Cup game against Mexico before facing Poland in the final group match next week. The Argentines currently sit at the bottom of their group and cannot afford to drop points in their next two matches.