"Today Leo Messi showed that he is the best of all time" - Lionel Scaloni heaps praise on inspirational Argentina captain 

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni was all praise for his skipper Lionel Messi as he led the national team to the semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a nervy win over The Netherlands on Saturday, 10 December.

The 44-year-old boss said that the Paris Saint-Germain superstar showed the world that 'he is the best of all time' after another exceptional performance in Qatar.

Speaking about the sheer quality and leadership skills of his skipper Lionel Messi and what makes him the best player ever to step on the football pitch, Scaloni said via UK Sports Mole:

"Today Leo (Messi) showed that he is the best of all time.''

He further added that his team deservedly won the game to progress to the semis. He also lauded his youthful team for their never-say-die attitude. He added:

''This team has the spirit to be able to face the situation at all times. From my point of view, we didn't deserve to go to penalties, but even so the team continued to show its face. We had the game under control, but football has this, even when you think everything is over. This team has youth and pride. It's essential to never give up.''

He added:

"We always think of attacking, beyond what they proposed. The game was so short that it was difficult for us, especially in the second half. However, we are satisfied. We knew that in extra time, playing our football, we could change the result."

The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward has been in exceptional touch since the beginning of the 2022-23 season after a disappointing first season with PSG last year. In the five games that he played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the former Barcelona captain has scored four goals and provided two key assists, becoming the main difference between Argentina and their opponents.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has already broken Brazil great Pele's record of most assists in the knockout stages of the World Cup after his assist put Molina through in the first half against the Netherlands. He has also equalized Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's joint-record scorer at the FIFA World Cups with 10 goals.

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Gary Lineker hails Lionel Messi's performance in Argentina's 4-3 win over penalties against the Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals

Former England international and TV presenter Gary Lineker has hailed the Argentine captain's incredible consistency in the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Lineker was astonished by the PSG man's performance against the Dutch as he provided an assist and converted a penalty to put his team ahead in the game. The Englishman was happy to find that his record of 10 goals in the World Cups has been equalized by his favorite player in the modern era.

He said via Twitter:

''Messi scores his 10th World Cup goal. That is definitely the only thing we have in common.''