Lionel Messi's World Cup campaign undoubtedly sparked back to life as he helped Argentina secure a dramatic 2-1 win over Argentina to make the round of 16. However, despite breaking the deadlock with an exquisite goal in the first half, it was his actions off the field that garnered him tons of praise.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, often criticized for his lack of leadership despite being the national team captain, was seen rallying his team-mates during half-time. Right before the break ended, La Pulga could be seen giving his fellow countrymen a speech before coming out of the tunnel.
Many applauded him; others joked that he scolded at his team-mates about being tired of carrying them on his back. Now, though, we know what the 31-year-old actually said.
Marcos Rojo opened up about their skipper's pep talk, revealing that La Pulga looked to ease their anxiety. The defender then went on to hail Messi as "the best captain in the world" after that late victory.
"Messi came up to us and told us to calm down and not be stressed," Rojo said, as per the Mirror.
"We felt nervous and that message helped us a lot and gave me personally a huge confidence boost."
Despite Lionel's reassuring words, Sampaoli's men appeared shaky in the second half and conceded a penalty, which Victor Moses converted to make it 1-1. Argentina threw everything at the Super Eagles and scored the winning goal with a few minutes left on the clock from an unlikely source: Marcos Rojo.
The Man United defender also confessed that he would not have been inside the opposition's penalty box to score the decisive winner had it not been for Leo.
"Messi is our captain and he's the best captain in the world, it was amazing to score that goal.
"Messi told everyone that it was either life or death. It could've gone badly. We could've conceded but Leo was stubborn.
"He told me to run forward. Even [Javier] Mascherano. He told everyone to attack no matter what. He truly read the game and risks. He's a leader. The best."
Although controversial, La Albiceleste's victory means they avoided an embarrassing group-stage exit. Thanks to the triumph, they have now booked a round-of-16 tie with France, which will be played this Saturday.
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