"I followed France a lot" - Carlos Tevez makes surprising admission about Lionel Messi and Argentina winning the World Cup
Lionel Messi's former Argentina teammate Carlos Teves has controversially claimed that he followed France 'a lot' at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
El Apache, who most recently managed Rosario Central before resigning in November, made 76 appearances for La Albiceleste during his playing days. Eight of these came in the FIFA World Cup.
He played four games each in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, scoring a combined tally of three goals. Lionel Messi was his teammate on both occasions.
A 18 años de la gloria ETERNA !!!! 💙💛💙 https://t.co/cxkY5F6X3J
But it seems that Tevez wasn't entirely backing his former teammate, and his national team, to win the trophy in Qatar. When asked by Super Miter Deportivo (h/t Ole) about how he followed Argentina's exploits in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Boca Juniors legend replied:
"I followed the World Cup little. I followed France a lot because it was a team that I liked."
France were, of course, the team Argentina beat in the final on December 18. Manager Didier Deschamps' team fought hard to ensure the game ended in a 3-3 draw in regulation time. The game was won by the South American giants in penalty shootouts following penalty misses from Aurelien Tchouameni and Kingsley Coman.
Tevez's apparent disinterest in his country's glory in Qatar could be a peculiar sight for some fans.
Tevez wore his heart on his sleeves whenever he was representing the nation on the pitch. His last appearance in an Argentina shirt came as a 31-year-old back in October 2015, when he played in a 0-0 World Cup qualifiers draw against Paraguay.
Argentina's Lionel Messi pips Kylian Mbappe once again after 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph
Lionel Messi has won French magazine L'Equipe's 'Male Athlete of the Year' award for 2022 after his FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar, as per popular journalist Roy Nemer.
Lionel Messi has been named as L'Équipe's "Champion des Champions", the best male athlete of the year. https://t.co/PDVmi5rVji
He finished with a tally of 801 points - 427 more than second-placed Kylian Mbappe. Rafael Nadal was third on the list, with Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoil and F1 champion Max Verstappen completing the top-five standings.
The award, titled 'Champion des Champions', was won by Novak Djokovic last year. Lionel Messi was the last footballer to win the award before 2022, doing so in 2011 during his time at Barcelona.
The 35-year-old is currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), who are contemplating whether to hold a ceremony for his World Cup win at their home stadium.
Messi is yet to return to action for Les Parisiens after his triumph in Qatar. He is expected to feature in his team's Ligue 1 clash against Angers at the Parc des Princes on January 11.