FIFA World Cup 2022: Legendary backing for Lionel Messi

The Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex here hosted the inaugural FIFA Legends Cup FLCmdasha twoday Thursday and Friday eightteam sixaside tournament where a host of former global football stars descended for a kickaboutmidday caught up with a few to find out their assessment of Sundayrsquos mouthwatering final between Argentina and France and predictionslsquoHard to pick the greatestrsquoFormer Brazil World Cupwinning 2002 defender Roberto Carlos had no hesitation in equating Argentine skipper Lionel Messi with the likes of 1986 World Cupwinning captain Diego Maradona and Brazil legend Pele ldquoPele Maradona and now Messi are all great Itrsquos hard to pick the greatest But Sunday promises to be a great final between two extremely worthy teams I expected more from Brazil lost in the quarterfinals to Croatia via penalties Irsquom currently an ambassador of FIFA so it will be unfair if I make any prediction for the final Messi and Francersquos star striker Kylian Mbappe are equals so itrsquos tough to predict the final anyway The final is a mind game itrsquos psychologically a big game a different game so the pressure will be different Being a South American I wish for an Argentina win but Mbappe could prove to be the differencerdquo said Carlos 49 who represented the South American Panthers at the FLC Kylian MbappeFellow defender and member of Francersquos 2006 World Cup runnerup team Mikael Silvestre 45 is bold enough to predict ldquoMessi will give his all in Sundayrsquos game Itrsquos the culmination of an infallible career He will definitely make it hard for France but I believe France will beat Argentina 21 It will be just like the France v England quarterfinal match where France won 21rdquo said Silvestre part of the FLC East Tigers sideFormer German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann 53 is convinced Sunday will belong to Messi ldquoArgentina are the favourites for this final Messi will lift the World Cup but France are a good team so it wonrsquot be easyrdquo said Lehmann who was part of Germanyrsquos 2002 World Cup runnerup side and a key member of English club Arsenalrsquos Invincibles who won the 200304 English Premier League title without losing a single game Former Senegal forward El Hadji Diouf 41 who was named in the 2002 FIFA World Cup allstar team after leading the African nation into the quarterfinals believes Messi doesnrsquot need to prove anything ldquoItrsquos been a great World Cup and it will be an even great final but I donrsquot believe that Messi needs to win it to prove himself Messi has already achieved so much he doesnrsquot need to prove anything to anyonerdquo said Diouf who was at his skillful best for the FLCrsquos African Lions herePablo Zabaleta Tim Cahill Jens Lehmann and Roberto CarlosFormer Argentine forward Maxi Rodrigues 41 who was part of Messirsquos team that finished runnerup at the 2014 edition in Brazil is hoping history will not repeat itself ldquoMessi is the best player at this World Cup Hersquos on top of his game We have played together for Argentina for many years and hersquos one of my very good friends I hope for our friendshiprsquos sake that he can win this World Cuprdquo said Rodriguez part of the South American PanthersFellow Argentine Pablo Zabaleta who was also part of that 2014 side that lost the World Cup final to Germany feels Argentina need to win this World Cup badly ldquoWe came so close in 2014 when we lost the final Argentina need to win this one and Messi seems desperate for it The whole team is doing well and credit for this must go to coach Lionel Scaloni who has brought in some good young midfielders like Alexis Mac Allister 23 and Enzo Fernandes 21 who used to be on the fringe but are now in the playing XIrdquo said Zabaleta 37Also ReadLionel Messi carries the weight of Argentina into World Cup finallsquoSuch a selfless playerrsquoTim Cahill 43 one of the best Australians to have played the game is impressed with Messirsquos humility ldquoMessi is such a selfless player He doesnrsquot like to take all the accolades and is among the first to give his teammates credit for everything This Argentina side is a very rigid and compact outfit as we saw when they beat Australia here 21 in the Round of 16 They are playing with passion and a united bunch Mbappe meanwhile has many years to progress Irsquom confident this Argentine team can do something special with Messi on Sundayrdquo said Cahill who seemed as sharp and fast as ever while turning up for FLCrsquos East Tigers sideUSArsquos 1994 World Cup defender Alexi Lalas who no longer sports his famous ginger beard and long hair believes therersquos no way that France can stop Messi on Sunday ldquoBeing a defender I can tell you that itrsquos impossible to stop Messi because he can excel at any moment in the game This is Messirsquos World Cup In fact this World Cup needs Messi And thatrsquos the reason on Sunday not just Argentines but many nonArgentine people are also supporting and praying for him to winrdquo said Lalas 52 who won USArsquos Soccer Player of the Year in 1995Cameroonrsquos Thomas NrsquoKono one of Africarsquos greatest goalkeepers insists Messi will not have it easy though ldquoI believe the best team on the day will win Messi just reaching the final is not going to be enough He will have to play extremely well in that final to earn that World Cuprdquo said NrsquoKono 66 who pulled a muscle while playing for the LFCrsquos African Lions and had to be carried off piggyback by teammate Demba Ba to a round of applause from the spectatorsAlso ReadFIFA World Cup 2022 Lionel Messi lsquoassistsrsquo Argentina into final