Messi’s bold World Cup prediction and the manager he calls the greatest

Lionel Messi has spoken candidly about Argentina’s chances of repeating their historic triumph in Qatar, while also paying a glowing tribute to Pep Guardiola, the coach he still calls the most influential figure of his club career. Messi shared these thoughts in an exclusive interview with ESPN, offering rare insight into his mindset ahead of the next World Cup cycle.

Messi believes Argentina’s current group has the mentality and hunger to challenge again on the biggest stage. But he also warned that football’s finest margins make the World Cup a tournament where no giant is ever safe.

The fine margins of the World Cup

Reflecting on Argentina’s unforgettable run in 2022, Messi reminded fans of how quickly everything can change in a knockout format.

“The World Cup is very difficult. Any team can make things tough for you and eliminate you. The ball might hit the post and go out, or hit the post and go in, and just like that your journey ends or you lose on penalties.”

He noted that even with Argentina’s dominance in matches against the Netherlands and France, the outcome still came down to penalties.

“In the last World Cup, luck was on our side,” Messi said. “Even though we were greatly superior in those matches, we still ended up going to penalties, and then we had the beast as a goalkeeper who made us win.”

But he warned that shootouts are never something you can count on.

“It can happen that you reach penalties and do not win. It is very hard to win the World Cup.”

A group capable of fighting again

Despite the difficulty, Messi remains optimistic about Argentina’s capacity to fight for another title.

“Can what happened in Qatar be repeated? Yes, I believe it is a group that will try again and will give everything and fight,” he told ESPN.

Argentina’s blend of experience, youth and continuity continues to make them one of the pre tournament favourites.

Messi’s tribute to Guardiola

During the interview, Messi also reflected on Pep Guardiola’s remarkable influence on his career and on modern football.

“Pep Guardiola is unique. There are extraordinary good managers, but he has something different. For me, he is the greatest of all managers.”

Messi and Guardiola formed one of the most iconic partnerships in football history at Barcelona, redefining the game through innovation, structure and relentless winning.