BUENOS AIRES – World champion Lionel Messi regretted his testy exchanges with the Netherlands coach and players during their controversial quarter-final in Qatar, he said in an interview broadcast on Monday.
Messi gave his first interview since winning the trophy to Buenos Aires radio station Urbana Play in December. The Argentina captain spoke about the heated duel with the Netherlands, which the South Americans won on penalties. A record 17 yellow cards were issued, including one for Messi for dissenting opinion.
When Messi scored from the penalty spot in regulation time, he was standing in front of Dutch coach Louis van Gaal with both hands over his ears. After the game, he gestured at the Dutch bench and insulted striker Wout Weghorst, who usually scored two goals.
“I don’t like what I did, I don’t like what happened after,” Messi said. “These are moments full of tension, a lot of nerves. It’s very fast and people react the way they react. Nothing was planned, it just happened.”
This quarterfinal was surrounded by controversy. Ahead of the match, Van Gaal said his players were better prepared than their rivals for a penalty shoot-out. He also said “Messi didn’t touch the ball” in the semi-final between teams at the 2014 World Cup; Argentina also won this draw on penalties.
Messi said his teammates told him what Van Gaal said to stimulate him.
About his moment with Weghorst, Messi said it was ‘natural’.
“I reacted like that. There had been a lot of things with that player, moments of tension like this . . . I was in the mixed zone, it just happened,” Messi said. “I don’t like leaving that image behind, but these things happen.”
Messi also said Argentina are “better than their rivals in general” and chose Mexico, his second group opponents, as “the toughest”.
“It was the worst game we played because of all the things that went into winning it or not,” said Messi. Argentina lost their opening match against Saudi Arabia 2-1 in one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history and needed to beat Mexico to stay in the playoffs. Mexico was beaten 2-0.
Messi said he didn’t see the final against France. Argentina won the final on penalties, winning their first World Cup title since 1986.
“Everything changed for me from that day,” he said. “Fortunately, what we dreamed of so much happened. That’s what I wanted so much in my career and in the end it came about.”
Asked what he would tell Messi in his childhood if he could, the star said: “Something extraordinary awaits you, you can’t imagine it. You will have a beautiful path, with some difficult moments to overcome, but never give up on your dreams because in the end you will get your most desired reward. Your film will have a happy ending.”
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