England Soccer Star Eliminated at World Cup Praises ‘Astonishing’ Leo Messi
Messi #Messi
Everything To Know About The 2022 World Cup In Qatar
SHARE
SHARE
TWEET
SHARE
What to watch next
Watch The Official Trailer For FX’s ‘Kindred’
Newsweek
The 12 International Small Town Getaways You Should Know
Newsweek
What Is Buccal Fat Removal?
Newsweek
Cars Swerve To Dodge Texas Tornado That Rips Through Town
Newsweek
‘1923’: Helen Mirren Says Cara Dutton Is Another ‘Queen’ To Add To Her List
Newsweek
Moscow Police: Social Media Speculations Have Led To Tips Based On Rumors
Newsweek
Videos Show Funnel Clouds Amid Tornado Warnings As Storm Sweeps Texas
Newsweek
Biden Signs Respect For Marriage Act: ‘Blow Against Hate In All Its Forms’
Newsweek
Biden Claims Administration’s Economic Plan Is ‘Working’ As Inflation Slows
Newsweek
Zelensky Tells Donors Ukraine Needs 800 Million Euros To Survive Winter
Newsweek
DeSantis: CDC COVID-19 Pandemic Protocols Were A ‘Huge Political Farce’
Newsweek
Highway Bridge In Ukraine Damaged In Explosion
Newsweek
A Look At How ‘KALEIDOSCOPE’ Was Made
Newsweek
Watch The Trailer For ‘Sister Wives’ Season 17 Tell-all
Newsweek
What Happens If You Turn Off Your Heat? Energy Demands Cause Price Increase
Newsweek
‘Harry & Meghan’ Should Not Hold Back On The Royal Family ‘Out Of Fairness’
Newsweek
Click to expand
UP NEXT
England soccer star James Maddison declared Lionel Messi’s performance for Argentina against Croatia in the World Cup semifinals Tuesday as “astonishing.”
The 26-year-old midfielder had faced double World Cup heartbreak after England was eliminated from the tournament in the quarterfinals by France and Maddison had not played a single minute since the team arrived in Qatar.
With this bitter pill still in his mouth, the Leicester City player decided to tune out from the World Cup since arriving back in the U.K. and before the English Premier League resumes.
His opinion changed during Argentina’s semifinal match against Croatia in which Messi produced some magical moments to take his team to the final with a 3-0 victory.
Maddison tweeted to his 360,000 followers how he felt that Messi’s performance proved why he is soccer’s G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time.)
The soccer star wrote: “Wasn’t sure whether I was going to watch the rest of the World Cup after we were eliminated… but how can you turn down the opportunity to watch Leo Messi when he can still play to that level at the age of 35. Honestly astonishing. [Goat emoji]”
It seemed to be a popular opinion with more than 90,000 likes and thousands of comments as fans debated whether Messi is the greatest ever and how his performance drove Argentina to another World Cup final.
Messi announced after the win over Croatia that the final on Sunday, against either France or Morocco, will be his last World Cup game.
A jubilant Messi said postgame: “I am very happy for finishing my journey in World Cups in a final, to play the last game in a final. That is really very gratifying.
“Everything I lived in this World Cup has been emotional, seeing how much it has been enjoyed in Argentina. There are a lot of years from this year to the next one. I don’t think I will be able to do that. To finish this way is brilliant.”
Many agreed with Maddison’s assessment of Messi and they replied in droves to his Twitter post.
One wrote: “There’s a reason most ballers, both active and retired choose Messi as their GOAT. He is the only GOAT, there cannot be two GOATs.”
Another compared this World Cup campaign to Argentina’s win in Mexico in 1986 when Diego Maradona was at his best.
They tweeted: “He’s incredible. It’s a joy to watch. The parallels with Mexico ’86 are there to see.”
Of course, there were those that felt Maddison was backing the wrong horse for the greatest player ever.
One felt that French striker Kylian Mbappé had a legitimate claim, tweeting: “That must mean Mbappe is the goat of goats because he’s been even better this tournament and he’s already had one of the best ever World Cups a teenager has ever had when he won in 2018.”
Do you have a tip on a sports story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the World Cup? Let us know via entertainment@newsweek.com.
Related Articles
Start your unlimited Newsweek trial