The hope of seeing Lionel Messi at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was fueled this Tuesday after the coach of the Argentina Under-23 National Team, Javier Mascherano, confessed that he had a conversation with the Inter Miami star about the possibility of joining the team for the Olympic event.
The Argentine coach referred to the possible additions that the Albiceleste could add for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games that will take place between next July and August, leaving the decision to join the team in the hands of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“We have extended the invitation to Leo to join us in the Olympic Games. We agreed to talk again in a few months. It is not an easy situation”“El Jefecito” acknowledged during an interview on the Libero program on the Argentine channel TyC Sports.
It must be remembered that the teams qualified for the Olympic Games have the possibility of incorporating three players above the category (sub-23) to compete in the competition. In this way, the door is opened for Lionel Messi to compete again in an event of this magnitude.
The Argentine star already had the opportunity to play in an Olympic Games, in the 2008 Beijing edition, winning the gold medal by beating Nigeria in the final (1-0). In that team Messi coincided as a player with Javier Mascherano who had also won the gold in Athens 2004.
But now not only Lionel Messi could join the Argentina National Team for the Olympic Games. The goalkeeper, who also won the world champion with the Albiceleste in Qatar 2022, Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, showed his desire to play with the Argentine team.
“If there is something I am missing with the national team, it is winning the Olympic Games”commented the Aston Villa goalkeeper in the English Premier League and winner of The Best award for best goalkeeper of 2023, to which the Argentine technical director responded with emotion when thinking about strengthening his goal.
“How can we not take that desire into account? ‘Dibu’ Martínez is among the three best goalkeepers in the world, if he is not the best “commented Javier Mascherano, who did rule out being able to count on Ángel Di María, who rejected the invitation to compete in the Olympic Games with the Argentine National Team.
“’Angelito’ thanked us for the invitation, but he has no intention of going with us to Paris. We have ruled him out, because he wants to give the opportunity to the younger ones”recognized the strategist who qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games with the second place achieved in the Caracas Pre-Olympic held at the beginning of the year in Caracas, Venezuela.
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