Angel Di Maria says Argentina players don't always have to rely on 'alien' Lionel Messi ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup
Angel Di Maria has claimed that Argentina do not always need to rely on Lionel Messi, who he describes as an alien, ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Di Maria, 34, and Messi, 35, head to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup, with Argentina among the favorites to win the tournament.
It will be the last FIFA World Cup that Lionel Messi plays at, and many are hoping the Paris Saint-Germain attacker comes out triumphant in Qatar.
He has been a prominent figure for La Albiceleste over the years, earning 164 international caps, scoring 90 goals, and contributing 51 assists.
The former Barcelona attacker captained Argentina to Copa America glory in 2021.
Messi heads into the FIFA World Cup in fine form - he has scored 12 goals and contributed 14 assists in 19 appearances across competitions for PSG.
Di Maria has lauded his Argentine compatriot but insists that Lionel Scaloni's side do not always need to rely on him.
He spoke glowingly of his time playing by Messi's side, claiming that it is the best thing to have happened during his career (via GOAL):
"For me, being by Leo's side is everything. He's the best in the world, an alien, and I won't get tired of saying it. And I'll say it again: playing with Leo is the best thing that happened to me in my career."
He continued,
"We have spent many years together in the national team and I was even able to play in the same team with him, because seeing him every day is much nicer."
However, Di Maria then suggested that Messi does not always need to be relied on:
"I always try to connect with him, look for him, but also understanding that, although he can solve the play, you don't always have to give it to him. Or you have to think about when it should be given."
Valdano: "Mascherano once said it would be crazy to be Messi for 5 minutes."
Lionel Messi: "Being Messi has its negative side, I sometimes wish I wasn't famous. I don't like being the center of attention or feeling that people are looking at me. But I've gotten used to it." https://t.co/oi9q66tQ9y
Argentina boast an exciting crop of attackers aside from Di Maria and Messi.
Scaloni's 26-man squad includes AS Roma's Paulo Dybala, Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, and Benfica's Enzo Fernandez.
Hence, there are options other than Lionel Messi for Argentina to succeed in Qatar.
Lionel Messi pretended to have an injury in training with Argentina ahead of the FIFA World Cup
Lionel Messi gave Argentina fans a scare when he clutched his hamstring during a training session with La Albiceleste.
The veteran forward had dealt with an Achilles problem which saw him miss PSG's 2-1 victory over FC Lorient on 6 November.
However, he returned to the Parisians team for their 5-0 win over Auxerre on 13 November.
During Argentina's training session on Monday, 14 November, Messi was in playful spirits.
Both he and teammate Rodrigo De Paul both pretended to have incurred injuries.
Messi and De Paul joking with faking injuries 💀
https://t.co/YpBtkbYhPl