๐จ๐ฃ๏ธ Julian Alvarez: "We will do EVERYTHING to make sure Messi wins the World Cup AGAIN."
"Every game is a battle for him. The first thing I did when I scored the goal was to hug him."
๐ช๐ธ๐ฆ๐ท De La Fuente: โMessi looks like heโs 19 or 23 years old. Heโs performing at an exceptional level. Itโs not just his maturity anymore, but above all his commitmentโ.
โHeโs tireless, heโs never satisfied. He always wants more, every single day. Heโs an example for all of his teammates, for football lovers, and for everyone whoโs just starting out in the gameโ.
On this day in 12 years ago, Sergio Romero saved two penalty kicks for Argentina in their semi final penalty shootout win vs. Netherlands at the World Cup.
Toni Kroos on the claims that Argentina robbed Egypt at the World Cup:
๐ฃ๏ธ "I don't understand why people always look for excuses after a result like this. Football is decided over 90 minutes, not by one moment. Egypt played an excellent first half, but after going 2โ0 up they lost control of the game, and Argentina took advantage. That's what top teams do.
"People keep talking about the referee and VAR, but if you watch the match objectively, Argentina's comeback was built on their intensity, quality, and mentality. They believed until the final whistle, while Egypt couldn't maintain the same level they showed early on.
"You can't throw away a two-goal lead against one of the best teams in the world and then reduce everything to one decision. Football is much more complex than that.
"There will always be debates about refereeing, and that's normal. But saying the match was 'stolen' or that the tournament is being handed to Argentina is unfair to every player on the pitch. The players decide games with their performances, not conspiracy theories.
"The difficult thing after defeat is accepting that the opponent was better in the decisive moments. Argentina deserved credit for the way they responded under pressure, and Egypt should be proud of their performance while also learning from the mistakes that cost them. That's football."
๐จ Leo Messi: โ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐จ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐, we could not let it end like thatโ.
โThis group really deserved to keep going. We never give up, at all. Neverโ. ๐ซ
๐จ๐๏ธDavid Beckham via IG:
โThis is a truly exceptional person ๐ฉต๐ค
Not only because of what he does on the pitch, but also because of his character off itโ
๐จ Leo Messi: โI cried because I felt that ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง because of the penalty I missedโฆ and the way I took itโ.
โBut thankfully once again, God had something special for me in the end. Iโm very happyโ.
๐จ๐ง๐ท Rivaldo via IG:
"What a fighting spirit, what a desire to win, what a battle and dedication from everyone! This is exactly what the fan expects from his team in the World Cup.
As for talking about Leo Messi, it's a given. What a player! At 39 years old, playing his sixth World Cup in his career, he still shows the same passion for the Argentina jersey; he celebrates, he fights, he cries, and once again he is the decisive player.
I am Brazilian, I love my country, and I will always cheer for the Brazilian national team. Competition is part of football, but I also know how to appreciate and admire when I watch a great match and a team that gives everything it has on the field.
Matches like these elevate the value of football, and they are worthy of the World Cup. Congratulations to Argentina on qualifying."