The FIFA World Cup won’t occur until later this year, but the groups are set as all countries now know who they’ll need to overcome to reach the tournament’s knockout stages.
In what is likely his last World Cup, Lionel Messi and Argentina are in Group C and will have to face Mexico, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. In an interview with TUDN (via Marca), Inter Milan vice-president Javier Zanetti shared his excitement about what Argentina can achieve in the tournament.
Furthermore, Zanetti added that he is confident, saying that winning the Copa América last summer has helped build good momentum for what Messi and the rest of the group can do at the World Cup in Qatar.
“Messi is very happy. I see him happy playing with the Argentine national team; hopefully, it will be his World Cup,” Zanetti said.
Zanetti reaffirmed that the recent Copa América crown was an emotional lift for Lionel Scaloni and the squad since it was their first international trophy in the Messi-era.
“Winning the Copa América did us good because it freed us after many years without winning a title,” Zanetti said.
Depending on how the groups play out, there is a chance that Messi and Argentina could face France in the Round of 16, which would be a rematch of the 2018 matchup in Russia.