Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, is again leading the defending champions at the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will commence on June 11.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMessi is fuelled by his hunger for glory and his desire to make history again. He keeps going \u2013 nothing can stop him. He plays for the pride of representing his country: nothing else crosses his mind, not even breaking records. He wants to be crowned a world champion again. He\u2019s putting everything on the line once more because that hunger is part of who he is,\" Rodriguez told FIFA.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWithout that mindset and drive, he wouldn\u2019t have achieved everything that he has. That\u2019s why we\u2019re still able to enjoy another World Cup with him in Argentina\u2019s iconic No. 10 shirt,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rodriguez, a former Argentina international who played alongside Messi for more than a decade with the national team, also reflected on sharing a dressing room with both Messi and the late Diego Maradona during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The former winger said it felt surreal to be around two of the greatest players in football history.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt was amazing. I grew up watching Diego and his generation. He was my idol. Then, suddenly, we had Leo there too \u2013 the two greatest footballers the world has ever seen, with us every day. It felt like something out of a film,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cSometimes, after training, we would stay behind taking free-kicks, and Diego would join in. We would watch on in awe as Diego and Leo struck the ball. It was madness,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rodriguez, who represented Argentina at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cups, said he considers himself fortunate to have been coached by Maradona and to have shared the pitch with Messi for so many years. \u201cOne coached me, and I played with Leo for more than ten years with the national team. Those are the kinds of experiences you never think will happen to you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt was amazing. I grew up watching Diego and his generation. He was my idol. Then, suddenly, we had Leo there too \u2013 the two greatest footballers the world has ever seen, with us every day. It felt like something out of a film,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cSometimes, after training, we would stay behind taking free-kicks, and Diego would join in. We would watch on in awe as Diego and Leo struck the ball. It was madness,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Argentina is placed in Group J in the World Cup with lower-ranked teams like Jordan and Algeria, along with Austria, which can ease their route to the next round.<\/p>\r\n\r\n