Lionel Messi ‘just another player’? That’s what the Argentina star believes

Lionel Messi sees himself as “just another player” for the Argentina national football team and Barcelona as he prepares for the FIFA World Cup 2018.

football Updated: Jun 05, 2018 12:07 IST

Argentina's Lionel Messi smiles as he takes part in a team training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper, in Sant Joan Despi, Spain, Saturday, June 2, 2018. Israel will play Argentina next Saturday, June 9 in a friendly soccer match. (AP)

Lionel Messi’s list of career accomplishments is enviable to say the least. Apart from winning numerous honours with Barcelona, he is a record five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

His natural talent and penchant for goals have seen many of the current generation of promising footballers cite him as an influence and led to many calling him the best player of all time.

However, it’s an assessment the man himself doesn’t agree with. Amazingly, he sees himself as “just another player” for the Argentina national football team and Barcelona.

READ | FIFA World Cup performances still the benchmark for football greatness

“I don’t consider myself the best, I think I am just another player,” Messi told Paper Magazine according to a report in OmniSport.

Messi recently posed with a goat for a photoshoot in the magazine. For those who missed the reference, GOAT is a commonly used acronym for ‘Greatest of All Time’.

Although Messi might not agree with the assessment, it’s certainly not going to change the opinions of fans and experts who consider him the greatest to have played the beautiful game.

Argentina always in the race

Messi had recently stated that Argentina are ‘neither the best nor favourites’ going into the FIFA World Cup 2018, but he does believe that Argentina will ‘always be a candidate’ to win the showcase tournament.

“It will be important to prepare well, because in the qualifiers we were fighting up to the end and we didn’t have time to prepare ourselves,” he said.

READ | Burn Lionel Messi shirts if he plays in Jerusalem - Palestine FA chief

“We still have to make ourselves stronger as a team to be in the running to win and be at the same level as other teams like France, Germany, Brazil or Spain.

“But we have a good group of players and the Argentine team is always going to be a candidate to win, it doesn’t matter how we get there.

“We always aim to win and we will try to go slowly but strongly to advance in the competition.”

(With inputs from OmniSport)