“If Messi comes, I’ll give him the captain’s armband” - Young Argentina star makes special plea to Lionel Messi
Argentina Under-23s captain Thiago Almada has revealed that he hopes to play alongside Lionel Messi at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Almada, who guided Argentina Under-23s to a win over Brazil Under-23s in the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament, stated that if Messi decides to play in the Olympics, he will happily hand him the captain's armband.
"I hope Messi has the desire and can be at the Olympic games, it would be a dream. If Messi comes, I’ll give him the captain’s armband, obviously. Now they are the ones who have to decide if they come,” he said (via DSports).
Messi is already an Olympic champion. He was part of the Argentina team that defeated Nigeria in the final of the 2008 Olympics. However, La Albiceleste want the Barcelona legend to participate in the upcoming edition of the biggest multi-sport event.
Thiago Almada also claimed that Argentina are looking forward to playing at the Olympics. After finishing atop Group B, Argentina Under-23s finished second in the final group stage, only behind Paraguay.
"I am very happy for the group and the coaching staff, they deserve it. We showed that we were better throughout the tournament, always surpassing our opponent," Almada said.
“We have time to train and to continue to improve for the Olympic games. Today, they only came at us twice, we played a great match," he added.
The 2024 Summer Olympics will commence on July 26 at Stade de France, Paris. The closing ceremony of the international multi-sport event will take place on August 11.
Real Madrid defender settles the GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has shared his opinion on the never-ending GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Spaniard stated that he couldn't choose one of the two because both have a unique style of playing.
Carvajal said during an interview with Daniel Habif:
"Messi or Ronaldo? I put them on the same level. I don’t prefer one over the other. They are monsters in every sense of the word, and I could not choose either this or that. I think they are very different."
Carvajal also praised Messi for his ability to create attacking opportunities. On the other side, the Spaniard lauded his former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo for his goalscoring prowess.
Moreover, Carvajal said that watching the two football icons playing together would have been interesting.
"Messi is a player who is able to go back, receive the ball and create an attack, and he can participate in the play and create. Cristiano is a monster at scoring goals, attacking the area and finishing. If they were playing together they would have been a bomb and it would have been interesting to see,” he added.
Dani Carvajal, who made his Real Madrid debut in 2013, shared the dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo for five seasons. The Portuguese ace left Los Blancos in July 2018 to join Seria A giants Juventus.
Carvajal, meanwhile, played against Lionel Messi until 2021, before the Argentine joined Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona.