‘Messi is a human being’: Sourav Ganguly defends Leo after Argentina defeat Spain in World Cup final | Today’s news
Sourav Ganguly defended Lionel Messi after Argentina’s World Cup final loss. The former India captain insists that Messi’s legacy remains untouchable regardless.
Spain defeated Argentina 1–0 in extra time at the New York New Jersey Stadium on 20 July. Messi struggled for influence as Spain limited Argentina’s creativity. Some critics questioned the 39-year-old’s influence on football’s biggest stage.
Ganguly urged perspective when assessing Messi’s remarkable international career. According to Dada, no player gives the same performance in every match. To judge an entire career on one final seems fundamentally unfair, he argued.
“We always have to remember that he is a human being and nobody performs at the same level every day. There will be off days. To judge his entire career on one final or one performance is just unfair,” Ganguly told the press.
The final proved tactically difficult for Argentina throughout the match. Spain’s youthful, energetic side dominated proceedings from the outset.
Argentina’s teammates adopted a physical tactic that eventually backfired. Ganguly praised Spain’s tactical setup and called its preparation clearly better. He said that Spain never allowed Argentina to play naturally.
“I didn’t watch the whole World Cup, but I watched some key matches, including the semi-finals and the final,” said Dada.
“In the final, I felt Spain never allowed Argentina to play their natural game right from the start. Tactically, Spain were much better prepared,” the former BCCI president added.
Now there are questions about whether Messi will retire from international football. According to Ganguly, reaching the final regardless remains a real achievement.
Argentina successfully defended their Copa América title two years ago. He reminded people that football always produces winners and losers.
“Just reaching the final is a significant achievement for Argentina. But in football, one team wins and the other loses; that’s the nature of the sport,” said one of India’s most successful cricket captains.
“Messi is not a GOAT”
In June, during an interaction with sports journalist Gautam Bhattacharya, Sourav Ganguly said that he does not consider Lionel Messi to be the greatest of all time (GOAT). His choice may surprise you.
Ganguly said he would choose Maradona over Messi any day because “he’s the best”. “Isn’t Messi the greatest?” asked Bhattacharya. Dada said, “No, no!”
When asked why, Ganguly said simply: “Skill! Maradona’s skills were better than Messi’s in every aspect. Even his consistency. People like Maradona, Shane Warne, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Muttiah Muralitharan and Muhammad Ali are freaks! They are once in a generation.”
