Messi reveals ‘debt’ football owes him as he prepares to face Nigeria at 2018 World Cup

Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has said he hopes football “ends up paying” the debt the spot owes him at the 2018 World Cup.

Messi has lost three straight finals with Argentina in a three-year span.

His national team coach, Jorge Sampaoli, said after Messi’s hat-trick at Ecuador in the 3-1 win in their final qualifier on October 10, that football “owes Messi a World Cup.”

When asked to comment on Sampaoli’s remarks, Messi told FIFA: “Yes, I did hear it, and he said it to me too. I hope football does end up paying me!”

Argentina will face Nigeria, Croatia and Iceland in Group D of next year’s tournament. But Messi says the 2014 World Cup final defeat to Germany is still an open wound.
“It’s going to be there forever,” he said.