“Messi didn't push himself to play for other teams, in other countries. And he had the opportunities,” explained the former Boca goalkeeper.
Leo Messi he is not for everyone an untouchable in his country. Hugo Gattiformer goalkeeper of the Argentine national team, legend of Boca Juniors, who played at the highest level until he was 44, harshly criticized him during an interview with La Nacion.
Gatti is 80 years old and teased the Inter Miami striker: “Right now it's one less for the national team – said 'El Loco', who was Diego Armando's teammate Maradona in Boca – Messi plays easy football, I saw it in a team like Barcelona where they whistled everything in his favor, where nobody gave him a kick, in a team that played above all for him.”
Messi hopes to go to the 2026 World Cup with Argentina and according to Gatti “He can do it, but today he's one less, he's playing country field football in the United States.” Furthermore between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, Gatti chooses the Portuguese who in his opinion plays more competitive football in Arabia than in the American MLS: “You need more courage to play in Arabia, everyone competes there, they chase you, they kill you. Cristiano, although limited, remains a phenomenon. But, limited, he remains better than Messi. And he is limited because he doesn't play in the same conditions as Messi, but he played in the best teams in the world. Where did Messi play in the Argentine national team?
The former goalkeeper also downplays Messi's Argentina victory in 2022: “They didn't even kick Leo – says Gatti – in football, if they let you play, you can play every day, as Alfredo Di Stefano said. Maradona was kicked to death instead. Diego was hit, fell and got up again. Messi, on the other hand, gets touched and stays there.”
