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.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star forward Kylian Mbappe feels pride at being noticed by Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi.
Mbappe said that he desired to win the Ballon d’Or this year but Messi was too good a player to beat him. Notably, Mbappe was named as the best French player of 2019.
“Last season, I realised I could challenge for it. But in front of it stood Messi. I would score two goals, he would three; I scored three and he scored four. It’s crazy,” Mbappe told France Football as quoted by Marca.
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“I talked to Ousmane Dembele about how that was possible, and if he saw the goals I scored. And he told me that Messi was watching me.
“It’s flattering that someone like Leo takes you into consideration,” he added.
The 21-year-old also explained the trajectory of his football career which has seen him become one of the top players in the world.
“People think that Kylian has changed, but it’s not true. He plays to be decisive and important for his team,” said the striker, adding, “Except at age 17 or 18, you dare a little less to do your own thing because you still haven’t proven anything. You have to respect a certain form of hierarchy and give the ball to the best players. Now, they give me the ball and I take more advantage of my opportunity because I have tried it.”
Talking about Ballon d’Or 2019, Messi bagged the award for a world-record sixth time early December. He surpassed the likes of Liverpool stars Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo to bag home the coveted award. Meanwhile, Mbappe was sixth in the race.
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