11th September, 2014
Brazil icon Pele has stressed that Lionel Messi still has a shot at winning a World Cup and added that the Barcelona man is still one of the game’s greats even if he doesn’t lead Argentina to glory.
The 27-year-old came close to lifting the prestigious trophy this summer, but Germany eventually proved to be too strong in the final after extra-time.
Nevertheless, Pele has made it clear that Messi’s career is by no means over yet and he believes that he will get another chance to go all the way in 2018.
“Of course, Messi can still win a World Cup,” Pele told DPA.
“Messi is a very balanced player and he is in excellent physical condition. I have no doubt that he will still be around for the next World Cup.
“The loss in the final in Brazil does not take anything away from the fact that Messi is a great player. He will get another chance to shine in Russia.
“He might not have been at his best in Brazil, but that doesn’t make him a bad player. Both Argentina and Brazil have had a number of players who could have won the World Cup, but didn’t achieve this in the end.
“There is no doubt about it that Messi is an amazing player. We can’t start doubting him because he has not won the World Cup yet.”
Messi has made 93 appearances for Argentina so far, scoring 42 goals in the process.