Lionel Messi will be remembered but 'badly behaved' Argentina team-mates won't win anything else: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Argentina's players, other than Lionel Messi, behaved unprofessionally after their 2022 FIFA World Cup victory. The Swedish forward recently stated that he has no respect for the Argentine captain's teammates, who were rowdy in their celebrations after lifting the trophy.
Lionel Messi whispered to his late grandmother before Argentina's winning penalty 💙 https://t.co/2LSfFVTOhb
Speaking on Kylian Mbappe and France's loss to La Albiceleste in the final, Ibrahimovic told radio station France Inter (via GOAL):
“I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about the others in Argentina because they will not win anything more.”
Praising Messi while criticizing his teammates, the striker added:
“Messi has won everything and he will be remembered but the rest who behaved badly, we can't respect that. This is coming from me, speaking as a top professional player, that is a sign that you will win once, but you won't win again. You don't win like that.”
Messi achieved his boyhood dream of winning the World Cup with Argentina at the Qatar edition of the tournament in December. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar had an exceptional campaign, bagging seven goals and three assists.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner also scored a brace in the final and converted his spot-kick in the penalty shootout. He won the Golden Ball at the tournament, becoming the only player to ever win the award twice.
Argentina were extravagant in their celebrations after winning the trophy. However, some of their actions were unseemly, including the sarcastic chant they sang about Mbappe in the dressing room after the game.
During their celebrations in Buenos Aires, La Albiceleste goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was seen holding a doll with a picture of Mbappe's face taped to it, further escalating the issue.
Apart from jibes at the French star, the Argentine shot-stopper also made lewd gestures in front of Qatari officials after receiving the Golden Glove award for the tournament.
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni speaks about Messi's relationship with his teammates
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has heaped praise on Messi, insisting the captain is a great leader for his teammates. The Argentine boss stated that he finds it hard to explain the relationship between Messi and his fellow players.
In an interview with former Argentina footballer Jorge Valdano, Scaloni said:
“He is a football leader, you can see that, but when he speaks he says the right words. And I’ve never seen what he transmits to his teammates, not only as a footballer. In any person. It’s difficult, I can talk about it but people would have to experience what he transmits when he speaks."
"How his teammates look at him, the way they look at him, with admiration… it’s very difficult to explain."
A farmer in Argentina planted corn seeds in a specific pattern that created a tribute to Lionel Messi when the corn grew 🤯
📸: @marcariann, Reuters https://t.co/bibzqg5JWE
The Argentine superstar has had a stellar season for his domestic outfit as well. He has recorded 13 goals and 14 assists in 21 appearances across competitions for PSG this term.