It’s been a few weeks since Lionel Messi and Argentina lifted the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and many stories from the players on that squad are beginning to trickle out.
One of the stories is Messi’s mentality stepping into the box to take his penalty kick during the shootout that Argentina eventually won 4-2. Nonetheless, the Paris Saint-Germain star had to set the tone for the team.
While speaking on a Twitch channel, Olympique Lyonnais defender Nicolás Tagliafico was on the team and revealed what was going on as the team waited for the 35-year-old to shoot his attempt.
“After Mbappe’s penalty, all the pressure was on the other team; Leo approached it with all the pressure knowing that if he missed it we would have lost. … Leo kicked it as if he were playing with his son Mateo in the garden,” Tagliafico said.
Nico Tagliafico believes Argentina would've lost the final if Messi doesn't convert his opening penalty of the shootout 😳 pic.twitter.com/coKIyieXtx
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 8, 2023
Messi set the tone with confidence after converting his penalty kick as the rest of the shooters were able to convert their opportunities, allowing for Argentine to come away with the win.
Despite conceding the lead on two occasions, Messi didn’t panic and it appears his mentality during that game trickled down to the rest of the squad.
