Ángel Di María has stated that he will retire from the Argentina national team after the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Di María will not play for the Argentina national team as he revealed it on Monday. Speaking in an interview with Ole Clarin, he stated that there is a lot of talent in the team and that he is leaving the team after the World Cup in Qatar. Here is what he had to say:

“After the World Cup, I believe it is time. There are a lot of kids that are at the height of the national team, that are growing. I see it every time I go. Little by little, they will show that they are at a great level at their clubs and when they go to the national team.

“It would be a little selfish on my part, after so many years, having achieved what I achieved and to have a World Cup so close… I wish to be at the World Cup. After that, the sure thing is that I take a step to the side.”

The Argentine has taken part in three FIFA World Cups and has scored some very important goals for the national team. Having won the U20 World Cup and Olympic gold with Argentina, Di María scored the goal which won Argentina the 2022 Copa America.

Lionel Messi spoke about the Finalissima match against Italy and Kylian Mbappe’s comments regarding South American football.

Messi gave a lengthy interview where he has spoken about joining PSG, getting COVID, playing at the 2026 World Cup and the 2022 World Cup. In the same interview, he has also spoken about the Finalissima match against Italy.

The Argentine will want to win another trophy with the national team. Speaking with TyC Sports, here is what he had to say:

“We want to win it. It is a nice test for us too. It’s the European champions. Had they been at the World Cup, they would have been favorites. They had the bad luck of being out but they could have qualified before in the group when they had chances to win the match before going to the playoffs. But they couldn’t and after, because of things in football, they are outside of the World Cup.

“Surely had they qualified they would have been one of the candidates: Had they have been at the draw, no one would have wanted to play Italy, so it’s a nice test for us to keep growing, to get better and to get to our objective in the best way possible which is the first match at the World Cup.

“For them too, it should be that way, they should take it like that. It’s an official competition, that is validated by FIFA, one more cup for us and we want to win it and this group takes another cup, for the group and for the people of Argentina as well.

“The truth is that it’s crazy that they won the Euro Cup and they aren’t at this World Cup. That Italy are not at another World Cup, for what that signifies and what Italy are in the history of World Cups. It’s a pity, really. Now I have team mates and friends too in my team, two great people with whom I have a very good relationship with, that helped me a lot since I got there. Above all Verratti and that gives me a lot of pain.”

In regards to Kylian Mbappe’s comments where he spoke about the level of play in South America:

“Obviously outside of training we talk but in this case, we didn’t. I didn’t see how he said it or what he said. But many times we would talk with the guys from Spain, when we would come back from the qualifiers and tell them, you know how difficult it would be for you to qualify for the World Cup if you had to play there.

“Colombia, the altitude, the heat, Venezuela… They all have a different condition that makes it much more difficult and that aside, they are all great national teams with great players and football there is more even every day, no matter the opponent. I believe we are prepared to play against any European country and now we have a very nice test.”

Lionel Messi comments on his first season with PSG, getting COVID

Lionel Messi on playing the 2026 World Cup, difficult of the group at 2022 Qatar

Lionel Messi spoke in an interview with TyC Sports where he commented on possibly playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the difficult of the group at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Messi spoke about his first season at PSG and getting COVID but also about the World Cup. In regards to possibly playing in 2026, here is what he had to say:

“The truth is that I am thinking about this World Cup and after we will see. A lot of things can happened, football changes. And honestly, it appears difficult for me but I don’t have a clear idea.

“I never imagined I would played anywhere other than Barcelona and one day it happened that I had to leave.”

He was also asked about the group at the 2022 World Cup. On playing Saudi Arabia in the first match:

“We know from experience that there are no easy opponents. And it happened to us at the last World Cup, where we celebrated the group and in the end, it was complicated.

“The first match is always different, no matter the opponent, for the nerves. Fofr a lot of these kids it’s going to be the first World Cup that they play in and whether you want it or not, you feel the obligation to win. Because winning the first match at the World Cup is key for the matches that are coming after. But the truth is that this group is very excited, very eager and I believe we are preparing well for when that moment comes.”

On Mexico:

“It’s a national team that always costs us, that play very well. Although we were generally lucky and were able to pass or win, they play very well. The yhave a clear idea, with a coach that knows Argentina and they know us very well.”

On playing Poland:

“It is surely going to be a difficult group. It’s going to be difficult the entire World Cup.”

Lionel Messi gave a lengthy interview with TyC Sports where he spoke about his first season with PSG and getting COVID.

Messi spent his entire club career with FC Barcelona. Having joined PSG in the summer, it was a new league and a new team for him.

The record Ballon d’Or win spoke about his first season at the club. Here is what he had to say:

“I also had to get used to the way of playing because I was used to one style of play my entire life and going to another place where it’s not the same, it plays differently, football is seen differently, with new team mates… At Barcelona, I was playing with my team mates by my side for several years and they knew me by memory. That was all new for me.

“On top of that, I started the league late because I arrived late at the club. Then I had a knock on my knee that stopped me for a while and between one thing and the other, it never stopped. I couldn’t do three or four games in a row.

He also spoke about getting COVID:

“The truth is it hit me very hard. Symptoms were very imilar to how everyone else gets it. Coughing, sore throat, fever. But I have post covid issues in the lungs. I couldn’t train. I couldn’t even run.”

Alejandro Papu Gómez spoke about the Argentina national team and his presence at the World Cup.

Papu Gómez has been an important part of the Argentina national team for the last year. If he is not starting, he has been a substitute and has scored and assisted important goals.

Gómez is in the Argentina team for the Finalissima match against Italy as he spoke about his role in the team. Speaking in an interview with IP, here is what he had to say:

“At first, when they call you up, it’s like you’re constantly taking an exam. And that is normal because the Argentina national team has a high level. But today I feel more settled within the group and it’s not easy because I wasn’t there before.

“I try to live it and enjoy it as much as I can because we know that this has an expiration date and you don’t know when the last competition or the last match will be. Because of my age, this could be my first and last World Cup.”

In regards to the team itself:

“We spend too much time together, between four walls because we can’t go anywhere. Co-existing, if you really don’t get along, everyone is in their rooms and does their own thing. Today, the generation changed a little with phones and Ipads.

“Here, it’s totally different. We spend a lot of time drinking mate, chatting about everything: That’s why when we talk about “group”, we aren’t selling smokes and mirrors. There is a great unity and that is later reflected on the pitch. We spend a lot of time inside the camp with people who saw us grow up and that creates a trust that perhaps you don’t even have with a family member.”

He also spoke about being close to the fans:

“The new generation identifies with many of us. The use of social networks, we know it. We know that the people like this back and forth and we also know that the results are with us and today, thank God, we can do it. Perhaps at another time we couldn’t because we know that the Argentine is demanding.

“Today, we enjoy doing it. We know we can o it and it’s good to get closer to people and let them see what we do in a camp or how we live a win.”