Nicolás Tagliafico spoke about Lionel Messi’s World Cup.
Tagliafico commented on his injury in the World Cup final and in the same interview, he spoke about Lionel Messi. Speaking with ClankJPV, here is what he had to say:
As for leadership, it’s something he already exudes. Without saying a word, his presence creates that sense of leadership because of everything he’s done in his career, because of everything he is outside of football.
Because I often say it: it seems like he himself doesn’t know he’s Leo Messi. There’s a lot of talk about his aura… he has that aura that, when you get to know him more privately, you realize he doesn’t like to be called Leo Messi, but just another person. And often that—that humility, that grounding quality, that humanity—makes everything much easier.
Then, on the field, we all know what he does, that extra something he has. But, as for me in the national team, at first there was a lot of respect until I started to realize that I had to lose that respect, because I was also his teammate. I couldn’t keep putting him up front all the time, because he even demanded things from us, and we had to give our all.
Because it’s happened to me many times: “I have to try to be at his level.” That, obviously, wasn’t going to happen, but that pressure makes the team give a little more for him too. It’s incredible.
I think he surprised us at this World Cup. We underestimated ourselves, saying things like, “Well, Leo’s already 39…” and then thinking, “Maybe he’ll slow down a bit.” He surprised all of us. From day one, it’s been like, “We have to keep up with him, we have to keep up with his pace.” Because that high standard he set for himself keeps us feeling the same way, that we have to give it our all.
Because he, at his age and with everything he’s been through, is giving it his all. How can we not give it our all?
For me, it was an incredible World Cup, even better than the 2022 one, but considering the whole context and everything he was going through, his age and all. Honestly, hats off to him again.
He leads by example. It’s a bit like what happens to me too… Here with the national team, I’m not one for talking. But I try to lead from a human perspective, through dedication, camaraderie, and teamwork.
And Leo has that. Besides, with his talent and what we were talking about before, with just two words he can generate an energy that reaches everyone. Not just us, but people all over the world.
