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Lionel Messi reflected on Argentina’s victory over Ecuador in Buenos Aires on Thursday as the ‘Albiceleste’ kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Lionel Messi expressed the importance of victory and not performance after Argentina kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador.
Messi was once again Argentina’s hero in Buenos Aires on Thursday, converting a penalty at 13 minutes in the country’s first game since November last year.
Argentina was scheduled to begin its CONMEBOL qualification campaign for Qatar 2022 in March, but the coronavirus pandemic ruined those plans.
The South American giants finally returned to action in a mediocre display and extended their unbeaten streak to eight games, dating back to the 2019 Copa América in July, thanks to superstar captain and six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi.
“We knew it was going to be difficult. But the most important thing is that we won and now we have to work to keep growing,” Messi said after the game.
“It was important to start with a victory because we know how difficult the World Cup qualifiers are.
“The games are always tough. We expected the level of play to be different, but it has been almost a year since we played together, this was our first game back and nervousness complicated it.
Messi and Argentina played in an empty La Bombonera, the iconic home of Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors, amid the Covid-19 crisis.
There have been more than 856,000 confirmed cases and more than 22,700 deaths from coronavirus in Argentina.
“It was a difficult year for what we are living through,” added Messi of Barcelona, whose Argentina faces Bolivia on Tuesday.
“Being able to play with the Argentine National Team again and give people joy with the victory, beyond the game, it serves to decompress. A lot of strength to all Argentines ”.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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