Di Maria: Messi has to participate in the World Cup anyway, he is like an alien

Hupu August 17th: The Argentine national team has advanced to the 2026 World Cup ahead of schedule. People only have one question in their minds: Will Messi participate? Messi will turn 39 during the US, Canada and Mexico World Cup, which raises questions about his prospects for participation. Although doubts remain, for Di Maria, things are clear: "He has to play no matter what." Di Maria, who is currently playing for Rosario Central, said in an interview with La Nación: "No matter how good he is, Messi has to participate in the World Cup. He is him. It is him who drives the national team to continue to grow and brings hope to people. He is him, just like Diego Maradona was there, they are unique. They are like from another planet and do not belong here. We must continue to enjoy his game and hope he can participate in the World Cup at its best." Di Maria has already ended his career in the Blue and White Army.

Di Maria was very complimentary when talking about Messi: "He is an alien. I never watched MEF before, but now I bought season tickets to watch Miami International, because he is there, because I want to continue watching him play."

Regarding MEF and the debate about the possible impact of Messi and DePaul playing in leagues that are considered to be low at levels, Di Maria is sure that it has no effect on them: "It won't affect them. It is true that the league is low, but then your competitor is yourself, you are asking for yourself. It's not that Messi relaxed when he goes to MEF, but just scored a goal occasionally... No, he is still scoring a lot of goals and is always competing with everyone. Scarloni is concerned about whether you remain competitive and whether you are playing."