Manchester United winger Amad Diallo has named Lionel Messi as the player that comes to his mind when he thinks of the FIFA World Cup. The Ivory Coast international is gearing up for his first ever World Cup appearance this summer.
Diallo is one among 13 Manchester United stars called up for the tournament set to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Even though he played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford, Diallo did not think of the Portugal captain when asked to name the player he considered synonymous with the competition.
Thanks for the submission!
During an interaction with ESPN UK, Diallo admitted that Lionel Messi was his idol and he couldn’t think of anyone else but the Argentine if we were talking of the World Cup.
He stated:
“Messi, because he’s my idol”
Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, putting an end to his relentless chase for the trophy, which included a loss in the final back in 2014. The 38-year-old had also decided to retire after the Copa America final loss to Chile. Later, he overturned the decision to return to playing for the national team.
Lionel Messi sits out of first pre-World Cup friendly as Argentina begin preparations for title defence
Lionel Scaloni’s team secured a 2-0 win over Honduras in their first pre-World Cup friendly. Goals from Lautaro Martinez and Giuliano Simeone sealed the result for La Albiceleste.
Argentina fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Lionel Messi in action were left disappointed though. The superstar remained an unused substitute as he continues recover from a hamstring injury.
During the final game before the MLS break to accommodate the World Cup, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner requested to be taken off. He was seen clutching his hamstring, with Inter Miami later confirming the substitution was a precautionary measure.
When Argentina began their training camp for the World Cup in Kansas City, Lionel Messi was initially training separately to continue rehabilitation. However, he had joined the group before the game against Honduras, even though he later played no part in it.
The reigning world champions face Iceland in their final warm-up friendly and will be hoping their star man can get some minutes under his belt in that game. Argentina begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16. They face Austria (June 22) and Jordan (June 27) in the remaining Group J fixtures.
Edited by Nived Zenith