Lionel Messi has expressed regret for his actions before and during Argentina’s World Cup quarterfinal victory over the Netherlands.
Following their 2-2 draw on December 9, Messi and his teammates were criticized for their actions.
The Argentine and top scorer for Paris Saint-Germain ran in front of Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal and raised his hands to his ears to celebrate his penalty goal in the 73rd minute.
After the game, Messi said that Van Gaal’s “pregame comments” “disrespected” Argentina.
In an interview with Andy Kusnetzoff’s “Perros de la Calle,” Messi stated,
“I knew what Van Gaal had said but it [the goal celebration] happened on the spur of the moment”.
“I didn’t like what I did, I didn’t like what happened after. These are moments of nervousness and everything happens very quickly.”
At full-time, the captain of Argentina was seen arguing with Van Gaal and his assistant, Edgar Davids.
Following their World Cup victory, Lionel Messi got into a heated argument with the Netherlands coaching staff. During a post-game interview, Messi reportedly yelled at Netherlands goalkeeper Wout Weghorst, ” “What are you looking at fool? Get back there.”
Messi, on the other hand, stated that he would not have it any other way despite the long wait to win the World Cup.
In Messi’s fifth World Cup, Argentina defeated France on penalties to win their first World Cup in 36 years in Qatar.
Messi declared,
“I think if I had to choose the moment, it would have been this one,” Messi said. “It’s at the end of my career, closing a circle.
“I achieved everything with the national team as I always dreamed of. I got everything in my career, individually. It was closing my career in a unique way.
“I never imagined that all this was going to happen to me when I started and getting to this moment was the best … I have no complaints and I can’t ask for more.
“We won the Copa America [2021] and the World Cup, there’s nothing left.”
Messi stated that he wished Diego Maradona could have witnessed Argentina win the World Cup for the first time since the Napoli legend helped his country win it in 1986.
Maradona, Messi’s 2010 World Cup coach, passed away in December 2020.
“I would have liked that Diego Maradona would have handed me the [World] Cup or at least to have seen all of this,” Messi said.
“To have seen Argentina as world champions, considering how much he desired it and how much he loved the national team. I think he from above, as well as many other people that love me, gave me strength.”
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