UKAPUTENI we-Argentina oyisilomo kwezikanobhutshuzwayo emhlabeni, uLionel Messi, umemezele ukuthi usewabeka ethala amakhokho emidlalweni yeNdebe yoMhlaba.
UMessi (35) ukusho lokhu ngemuva komdlalo aqokwe kuwona njengomdlali ovelele benqoba kwiCroatia ngo 3-0 kowandulela owamanqamu eLusail Iconic Stadium, eQatar, ngoLwesibili ebusuku.
Njengakuwona wonke amafilimu namanoveli athandwayo, kuhamba kufike isikhathi sesiphetho kanti lo kaputeni we-Argentina uthemba ukuthi isiphetho sakhe kulo mqhudelwano kuzoba esigcwele izinyembezi zenjabulo.
Umdlalo wamanqamu weNdebe yoMhlaba ungeSonto ngo-5 ntambama kuyona le nkundla yaseLusail, eQatar.
UMessi ucashunwe emthonjeni wezindaba wase-Argentina, i-Ole Diario Deportivo.
Kusukela uMessi ebonakale okokuqala koweNdebe yoMhlaba eGermany ngo-2006, lo mdlali odabuka eRosario, e-Argentina, uphenduke omunye wabadlali abangcono kunabo bonke abake babonakala emlandweni walo mdlalo.
Lokhu kufakazelwa imiklomelo ayiqoqe ngayedwana nayidle namaqembu awadlalelayo.
NgeSonto, uMessi unethuba lokuvala zonke izinkulumo ngaye kwazise kuyona le minyaka ubethwele kanzima ngokuqhathaniswa, noDiego Maradona, okuyinkakha yase-Argentina ehlonishwayo, eyawinisa i-Argentina isicoco somhlaba sesibili ngo-1986 eMexico.
Yize uMessi esaleqa kuchwaze inkundla njengoba enzile kwiCroatia ashaye igoli kuyona wakhela uJulian Alvarez, amagoli amabili, uzobe eseneminyaka engu-39 ngesikhathi okuzofika ngaso iNdebe yoMhlaba elandelayo, e-USA ngo-2026.
“Kungenza ngizizwe ngihloniphekile ukuthi umdlalo wami wokugcina weNdebe yoMhlaba kuzobe kungowamanqamu,” kusho uMessi kwi-Ole.
“Konke kubukeka kuqondene kahle kule Ndebe yoMhlaba njengoba izinto zenzeka ngendlela esifuna ngayo kusukela kuqale umqhudelwano.
“Abalandeli bethu bahlale bephume ngobuningi babo ezinkundleni kanjalo nama-video asikhombisa konke okwenzeka ekhaya (Argentina), asinika amandla okuqhubeka.”
“Umdlalo wamanqamu kuzobe kungowami wokugcina kwiNdebe yoMhlaba. Miningi iminyaka okufanele idlule ngaphambi kokuthi kufike umqhudelwano olandelayo ngakho-ke angicabangi ukuthi ngiyobe ngisekhona,” kuqinisekisa uMessi kwi-Ole.
UMessi oseqokwe njengomdlali ovelele emidlalweni emine kwemihlanu aseyidlale eQatar, useshaye amagoli amahlanu kulo mqhudelwano.
Useshaye amagoli angu-11 koweNdebe yoMhlaba, wadlalela i-Argentina amahlandla angu-25 kulo mqhudelwano.
Uyena futhi umshayimagoli we-Argentina ovelele koweNdebe yoMhlaba njengoba igoli alishaye kwiCroatia, belimbeka phambili kukaGabriel Batistuta, obephethe irekhodi lamagoli amaningi e-Argentina koweNdebe yoMhlaba.