Australia national team manager Graham Arnold lauded Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi as “one of the greatest ever” after the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner guided Argentina to a 2-1 win over the Socceroos in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Round of 16.
Messi scored Argentina’s opener in the first half, and he came close multiple times to notching an assist in the second half of the contest. La Albiceleste had quite a scare in the latter half after Australia got on the scoresheet, but in the end, the CONMEBOL powerhouse held on to secure a spot in the quarterfinal round of the sport’s biggest tournament.
Arnold tried his best to not be star-struck by Messi, but he ultimately could not resist simply appreciating the PSG forward on the day.
“He’s incredible,” Arnold said in his post-match press conference. “One of the greatest ever. We really worked hard not to be in awe of him, because of the great player he is. But wow, he’s remarkable.
“I had the privilege of playing against Diego Maradona, and now coaching against Messi — they’re both wonderful players and Argentina should be so proud and happy to have players of that caliber.”
Argentina is now set to face off against the Netherlands in the World Cup quarterfinal round, which will be their first meeting since their semifinal duel in the 2014 edition of the World Cup.
