Lionel Messi will lead Argentina at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which is set to be held next year in the French capital. The iconic duo of Messi and Angel Di Maria could make a return trip to Paris, where they played for the French Giants PSG, before joining their new clubs.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi, recently celebrated his World Cup victory with Argentina and has been making headlines for his supportive gesture from the bench during the match against Bolivia. Now, former Argentina and Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has expressed his desire to see Messi and Di Maria lead Argentina at the Olympics.
Argentina boss aims to secure Messi for 2024 Olympics gold bid
Javier Mascherano, the current coach of Argentina’s U20 team and a former teammate of Lionel Messi at Barcelona and for the Argentina national team, has voiced his wish to have the World Cup-winning captain, Lionel Messi, and another senior star figure, Di Maria, lead the team.
“In the event of qualification, it would clearly be a source of pride for us to be able to have two world champions and this type of players,” Mascherano told TyC Sports.
“There are players who deserve to decide certain things. And clearly, Leo and Ángel are part of it,” Mascherano added further.
There’s no trophy remaining that Messi hasn’t achieved with the national team, from Olympic medals to Copa America and, most recently, the World Cup.
Recently, Messi made a move to the United States to play club football for Inter Miami as a free agent, choosing not to extend his stay with PSG any further. Meanwhile, Di Maria returned to Portugal for his second stint with SL Benfica, departing PSG after spending seven seasons there in 2022.
A 15-year celebration of Lionel Messi’s Beijing Olympics triumph
It has been 15 years since 21-year-old Lionel Messi secured the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Argentina squad included notable names such as Di Maria, Sergio Aguero, Ever Banega, Garay, and the current U20 coach, Javier Mascherano. Argentina clinched the gold with a 1-0 victory over Nigeria.
Having Messi and Di Maria as mentors and sharing the pitch with them could offer a valuable experience for the upcoming generation of players. The next Olympics are set for next year in July, just weeks after the conclusion of Copa America 2024. Therefore, the chances of the duo participating in the Olympics appear to be quite slim.
Do you want to see Messi and Di Maria light up the field in the 2024 Paris Olympics? Tell us what you think in the comments.
