The talk show queen had an inspirational message for the Argentine icon.

After their heartbreak from losing the 2014 World Cup final, Argentina fans will be hoping to end their long wait for silverware when the 2018 tournament begins. However, the struggles of Messi and Co. in the qualifying round will have many worried.

La Pulga is on a mission to win his first major title with the national side and will be keen to achieve this goal in Russia, but faces a tougher task this time around. Ahead of the tournament’s kick-off, he has received support from an unlikely source: Oprah Winfrey.

The American talk show queen was asked about the highly-anticipated tournament by Argentine presenter Barbie Simons during an interview about the new move, “A Wrinkle in Time”. This is when the 64-year-old offered the five-time Ballon d’Or winner inspirational advice.

"Messi, you already know this," she said.

"You go deep, you go deep, and you find the strength inside yourself.

"Messi, be a warrior."

The Barcelona superstar will, again, be the go-to guy for Jorge Sampaoli in the 2018 World Cup. Currently, the manager is preparing his side for a friendly against Italy which could help them improve their form.

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Argentina 2 - 0 Italy

March 23, 2018 3:45pmEtihad Stadium (Manchester)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

Live TV coverage and streaming in United States

beIN SPORTS USA
beIN SPORTS en Español
fuboTV
beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A.

Follow the game on-the-go

Download our iOS and Android apps to follow on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.

Live Soccer TV App for iOS Live Soccer TV App for Android