Former Boca Juniors and Argentina goalkeeper Hugo 'Loco' Gatti is far from convinced about Messi at Inter Miami.
Not all Argentinians are unconditional supporters of Inter Miami star Lionel Messi. Hugo Orlando Gatti, a Boca Juniors legend and World Cup player for Argentina in 1966, hit out at the striker and said he will remain “one less player in the national team”.
During an interview with Argentina's 'La Nación', Gatti admitted his devotion to Diego Maradona but claims he does not feel the same about the former Barcelona player, believing he has always had an easy time at the Catalan club and also at the club. 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“I don't hate Messi, but he's had it easy. I saw him play for FC Barcelona, where the referees were whistling and blowing every time he was touched. He was also surrounded by great players who essentially played for played him,” Gatti told the Argentine outlet.
Although Messi is considering playing with Argentina at the 2026 World Cup where he will try to win the second world title, 'El Loco' claimed that 'Messi could make it, but he will be one less for the team because he plays his football in a 'farmer's league (MLS) in the United States'.
Dibu the star
Gatti believes that the real figure of the World Cup was goalkeeper Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez, and he was convinced that Aston Villa was the 'star player of Albiceleste'. 'Dibu' has the moves of a 20-year-old, but I'm curious to see how he handles setbacks because it's been a series of successes for him so far.”
Cristiano overshadows Messi
When asked about that question about Cristiano and Messi, Gatti had no doubts about the choice of the Portuguese striker and is convinced that Saudi Arabia's Pro League is more competitive than MLS.
“It's harder to play there. Everyone plays there. They chase you, they kill you. Cristiano, although now limited in his speed and movement, is still a phenomenon. But this limited version of Ronaldo is still better than Messi in my opinion. Where did Messi play? At Barça and in the Argentina national team. Messi did not force himself to play in other teams, in other countries. And he had chances, didn't he?” he added.
Finally, Gatti downplayed Messi's performance at the 2022 World Cup, saying that “they didn't kick him once. If they let you play in football, as Alfredo Di Stéfano said, you play every day. On the other hand, Maradona was kicked to death. Messi doesn't get fouled at that level. Diego was constantly faced with mistakes and every time he was hit, he fell and got back up. If you touch Messi, he stays there.”
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