Messi-led Argentina national team to play in Kerala next year
World Cup-winning Argentinian football team led by iconic Lionel Messi will play in Kochi next year, Kerala State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman announced on Wednesday.
After Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi bagged the Best FIFA men’s player award beating Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus Sporting Director Fabio Paratici expressed his disappointment over the result. Meanwhile, the Juve official said the judges got the decision wrong, insisting Ronaldo deserved to win the award based on the honours he had achieved in 2019.
It is to note that Messi on Tuesday (IST) clinched the honour for the first time, with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk coming second and Ronaldo third.
“We are also disappointed over the award last night,” Paratici was quoted by Corriere dello Sport.
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“While still respecting Messi, who is a great player, we think and thought that after last season, having won the Nations League, Serie A, and the Italian Super Cup, having played a great Champions League, he [Ronaldo] deserved this award.”
In the race for the award, Messi with the ranking point of 46, left Virgil Van Dijk (38) and Ronaldo (36) behind to bag his maiden honour.
After the award was announced, Ronaldo took to Instagram on Tuesday, with an inspiring message: ” Patience and persistence are two characteristics that differentiate the professional from the amateur. Everything that is big today has started small. You can’t do everything, but do everything you can to make your dreams come true. And keep in mind that after night always comes dawn.”
See the post:
Ronaldo, who skipped the event at La Scala Opera House in Milan where Messi was felicitated, was ruled out of Juve’s Serie A match against Brescia on Wednesday with muscle fatigue. However, Juventus won the match 2-1.
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