Lionel Messi rejected criticism of himself and Argentina following claims of favorable treatment by FIFA officials during their run to a second straight World Cup final. The team defeated England 2-1 in Atlanta on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old delivered two assists in six minutes during a strong second-half rally. England had led through Anthony Gordon’s goal in the 55th minute.
Argentina’s title defense has drawn scrutiny over several referee decisions seen as beneficial to the defending champions. After securing a place in the final, Messi addressed the allegations directly.
“It hurts whoever it hurts, and let them say whatever they want — we proved once again on the pitch that nobody gives us anything,” Messi told TyC Sports.
“We came in under fire, with a lot of doubts around us, but I knew this group always competes. I was sure we were going to be among the final four and, thank God, we made it into the top two.”
Messi faced England for the first time in his 205 international appearances.
“If we had lost to England, people would’ve come out and said some nonsense about us, but we didn’t give them the chance. We were lucky enough to win, to get through this, with everything this match means.”
“We knew that football-wise we were better than them, but a lot is at stake when you play a match of this magnitude, when historical factors come into play. Still, it doesn’t stop being special because of everything it means, and we had to win it,” he added.
Messi also paid tribute to Diego Maradona, recalling his famous performance against England in the 1986 World Cup. “Without a doubt, Diego is enjoying this immensely from up there because today was a very special day for him,” Messi said. His eight goals and four assists in the tournament placed him atop the Golden Ball standings ahead of the final.
