Messi could manage only 49 touches, just six more than his goalkeeper
Every tournament that the duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are a part of is built up as a competition between the two best players in the sport. The World Cup 2018 has not been different and especially after a stellar start from the Portuguese, which has seen him score four goals in two matches, and a sub-par outing against Iceland for Messi, the pressure was on the Barcelona talisman to outperform his rival.
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Messi, however, was anonymous tonight and failed miserably in leading his side from the front. The diminutive forward managed just the one shot, which wasn't on target, and misplaced 25% of his passes. Even though he drifted back to the midfield to see more of the ball, Messi could manage only 49 touches, just six more than his goalkeeper, Willy Caballero.
Messi's dream of winning the World Cup is now all but shattered and he would have to depend on favourable results from other matches of the group and hope that Argentina beat Nigeria in their final group stage match in style.
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About the author
Sankalp Srivastava
Sankalp is a veteran European and international football writer at Sportskeeda. He has a total experience of 8 years, having previously worked for some top companies such as Wisden India and Fox Sports Asia. An engineer by qualification, Sankalp places a very high emphasis on accuracy by leaving no stone unturned in his research, and prides himself on showcasing the human aspect of the sporting world.
Sankalp has had the privilege of interviewing senior Indian cricketers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Chris Woakes in his experience so far. He has also covered various Indian and international matches, such as the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup when working for FOX.
Sankalp started following football after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup with his family. He is a die-hard Manchester United supporter, who started following the club due to David Beckham. His favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and favorite player is Lionel Messi, both for setting unattainable benchmarks. He considers Barcelona’s incredible 6-1 second leg comeback win in the 2016-17 UCL against Paris Saint-Germain as one of the most iconic matches ever.
Along with European football, Sankalp also follows the Indian Super League. When not writing, Sankalp enjoys traveling and watching sports.
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