Buenos Aires: Argentina face an uphill battle to qualify for next year’s World Cup without their suspended talisman Lionel Messi, according to Albiceleste legend Diego Maradona.
Messi has served one match of a four-game international ban for abusing an assistant referee in a World Cup qualifier last month, reports Xinhua News Agency.
“With all due respect to the national team, I think that without Messi we are at risk of missing out on qualifying for the World Cup,” Maradona told Radio Rivadavia.
“I would accept a play-off spot now, but Argentina are always capable of finding something extra.”
Argentina are currently fifth in the South American zone World Cup qualifying standings with four matches remaining.
Only the top four teams will qualify automatically for the tournament in Russia while the fifth-ranked side will earn a play-off berth.
In Messi’s absence, Argentina will play Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru. The Barcelona forward will return for the team’s last qualifier against Ecuador on October 10.
Maradona, who almost single-handedly won the 1986 World Cup for Argentina, called for an end to comparisons between himself and Messi.
“I have finished my career. I enjoyed my time on the pitch. Now it’s Messi’s turn. There doesn’t have to be any comparisons between us,” the 56-year-old said.
El Clasico heroics
The Argentine media has, meanwhile, heaped praise on Messi for his match-winning performance for FC Barcelona in the ‘El Classico’ on Sunday.
The Argentine star scored two goals, including a sublime curling strike in the last minute of the second half added time as Barcelona clinched a thrilling 3-2 win at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on Sunday night.
“Historic, memorable, epic,” shouted the homepage of Argentina’s Ole newspaper on Sunday.
The headline was one of many praising Lionel Messi on Argentina’s top news websites after his match-winning performance. “It was a match that had everything: emotion, back-and-forth attacking, a red card and, of course, the influence of an outstanding Lionel Messi,” Ole said.
The newspaper added that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had again proved the difference in Spanish football’s most famous rivalry.
“The visitors finished with Sergi Roberto’s slalom run and then the impeccable and relentless left foot of Messi. History repeated itself. Messi won it,” Ole said.
Clarin was another newspaper to heap acclaim on the 29-year-old, saying he “once again” upstaged Cristiano Ronaldo en route to scoring his 500th career goal.
“The city that is home to his arch rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, once again had to bow at the feet of the Argentine striker,” the paper said.
La Nacion’s Juan Pablo Varsky said Messi made a bold statement with his jubilant celebration, in which he removed his Barcelona jersey and held it up to Real Madrid’s fans.
“He celebrated in a crazed and challenging manner,” Varsky wrote.
“He was brilliant, even considering his own lofty standards. And then he finished the game like that. His legend grows.”
