Rodrigo De Paul on how Argentina treats Lionel Messi inside the national team:
🗣️ “People always ask me what Messi is like inside the Argentina camp. The truth is, for us, he is much more than just our captain or our best player.”
“He is the guy who carried this country through pressure, criticism, heartbreak, and impossible expectations for so many years without ever giving up on Argentina.”
“When Messi walks into the dressing room, everybody notices. Not because he demands attention, but because of the respect he has earned from every single player who wears this shirt.”
“There have been matches where players were exhausted, injured, barely able to run, but the moment Messi received a bad tackle, everyone suddenly found extra energy to fight for him.”
“I've seen teammates sprint fifty metres just to defend him. I've seen players argue with opponents, stand up to referees, and put themselves on the line because they feel they owe him that much.”
“People outside football may not understand it, but when you share a pitch with Messi, you don't just want to win for Argentina... you want to win for him too.”
“For many of us, seeing Messi happy after a victory feels almost as important as the result itself because we know everything he has sacrificed for this country.”
“And honestly, inside that dressing room, Messi isn't treated like a superstar... he's treated like football royalty. For many Argentine players, he is as close to a football god as we will ever see.”