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Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has heaped praise on Lionel Messi, claiming that his team knew they would win the Copa America because of their skipper.
The 29-year-old highlighted the importance of having an inspirational captain like Lionel Messi. He also called the PSG superstar the best player in the world.
Martinez told TyC Sports:
"If someone said "this is going to happen in 2021", nobody would have imagined it. But we knew that we were going to win the Copa America, we have the best in the world and someone (Lionel Messi) who guides us very well."
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Lionel Messi was Argentina's talisman during the 2021 Copa America, which took place over the summer. The 34-year-old was the joint top scorer alongside Colombia's Luis Diaz, with four goals to his name. He won the top scorer and the best player awards in the tournament.
It is worth noting that the 2021 Copa America trophy is the first international silverware of Lionel Messi's illustrious career. The Rosario native helped Argentina win their first Copa America since 1993.
Lionel Messi's success with Argentina over the summer has made him one of the favorites for the 2021 Ballon d'Or.
Lionel Messi guides Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Argentina have secured passage to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The two-time winners are the second South American nation to qualify for the tournament after fierce rivals Brazil.
Lionel Messi played a vital role in guiding Argentina to next year's showpiece tournament. The forward has scored six goals in the qualification campaign so far and is only trailing Neymar and Marcelo Moreno in the top-scorer charts.
Messi's Argentina teammate and Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez has scored five times in the qualifying campaign.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup could be Lionel Messi's final opportunity to win the tournament with Argentina. The former Barcelona captain came agonizingly close to lifting the World Cup in 2014 when his Argentina side lost to Germany in the finals.
Despite his shortcomings in the World Cup, Lionel Messi has had an excellent international career with Argentina. He holds the record for most caps and goals for La Albiceleste, having scored 80 goals in 158 caps for the team.
