Legendary Spain supervisor Vicente del Bosque has revealed that he tried to get Lionel Messi to decide to La Roja earlier than Argentina, whereas he believes the ahead is the most effective participant in soccer historical past.
Adulation for Messi is at an all-time excessive after he led Argentina to World Cup glory this winter.
Del Bosque oversaw essentially the most profitable interval in Spain historical past, guiding his nation to their first World Cup in 2010 and retaining the European Championships in 2012.
Speaking to Radio Marca, Del Bosque revealed his admiration for Messi and admitted he tried to persuade him to play for Spain as an alternative of Argentina.
“The best player I have ever seen is Messi. Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, I’ll take Messi. Of all the players I have known in so many years in football, for me, Messi, for his consistency and his quality as a player, has been impressive. He has had some fantastic seasons and has always led his team forward,” he mentioned.
“I tried everything to get Messi to play for Spain. However, Lionel refused because of the love he has for his country.”
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Messi moved to Spain on the age of 13 and was courted by their soccer federation almost as quickly as he touched down in Barcelona.
He made his first look for Argentina’s youth sides days after turning 17.
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