Messi: I would have liked Maradona to give me the World Cup trophy
Lionel Messi says that he wished Diego Maradona was alive to watch Argentina lift the World Cup in Qatar
's 36-year-long wait to win the
World Cupcame to an end in Qatar when they beat France on penalties in December.
scored seven goals at the tournament and won the Golden Ball award.
In his first interview since the World Cup, Messi admitted that he wished Maradona had handed him the trophy in Qatar. Argentina's legend passed away in 2020.
"I would have liked Diego to give me the cup, or at least to see all this, to see Argentina as world champions, with everything he wanted and how he loved the national team,"
Messi said.
"I think from above, he – like a lot of people who love me – were strong."
The 35-year-old Messi, who finally won the World Cup on his fifth attempt, said the triumph came at a perfect moment in his career.
"I think if I had to choose the moment, it would have been this one,"
Messi told the Argentinean radio show Perros de la Calle.
"It's at the end of my career, closing a cycle.
"I achieved everything with the national team as I always dreamed. I got everything in my career, individually. It was about closing my career in a unique way.
"I never imagined that all this was going to happen to me when I started, and getting to this moment was the best. I have no complaints and I can't ask for more.
"We won the Copa America [in 2021] and the World Cup, there's nothing left."
Paris Saint-German star also has revealed that he regrets his actions towards Louis van Gaal in the World Cup.
Messi confronted the Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal after Argentina's win in the quarter-finals. Messi was angry with Van Gaal’s comments before the game and directed his goal celebration at him. He also clashed with the Netherlands striker Wout Weghorst after the game and called him a "fool" in front of cameras.
He said:
"I knew what Van Gaal had said but it [the celebration] happened on the spur of the moment.
"I didn't like what I did, I didn't like what happened after. These are moments of nervousness and everything happens very quickly."
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