Lionel Messi spoke about the rivalry between Argentina and Mexico, and striker Raul Jimenez responded to it.
In recent years, Argentina and Mexico have faced off multiple times in major tournaments, especially in World Cups. This has led many to believe there is a special rivalry between the two national teams. However, Lionel Messi recently offered a different perspective on the subject, and now Premier League star Raul Jimenez has reacted with an honest confession.
“In reality, I don’t know what happened with the Mexicans. When that rivalry, that tension started,” Messi said in an April interview with Simplemente Futbol. “They positioned themselves in a rivalry with us that doesn’t really exist. There’s no real comparison between Argentina and Mexico.”
After that blunt response, Lionel added an important clarification. “I don’t know where that came from. I’ve always felt very appreciated by the people of Mexico, I’ve never disrespected anyone,” said the Inter Miami forward.
Now Raul Jimenez, striker for the Mexican national team, was asked about Messi’s comments and gave a sincere reply. “I think Messi is right to a certain point. I don’t know where the rivalry came from. It’s not to discredit Mexico or anything like that, because obviously I’m Mexican and I want us to be at the top. But he’s right,” said the Fulham player in an interview with Vamos Show.
“There’s a rivalry with the Argentina national team, but it’s more from the Mexican side toward the Argentinians,” Jimenez admitted. “They’ve beaten Mexico most of the time. They have more soccer history. They’ve always gone further in major tournaments—well, they won the last World Cup.”
How has Messi fared against Mexico?
Over the 20 years Lionel Messi has played for Argentina, he has faced Mexico six times, with five wins and one draw. The first meeting was in the 2006 World Cup quarterfinals in Germany, when Argentina won 2-1 in extra time.
The following year, the teams met again in the semifinals of the Copa America in Venezuela. Lionel had a standout performance and scored a beautiful goal in a 3-0 blowout. In 2008, they played a friendly match that ended in a 4-1 win for Argentina, with a goal and an assist from Messi.
At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Argentina won 3-1 with an assist from the forward, advancing to the quarterfinals. After that, five years passed before the only match in which Messi did not defeat Mexico: a 2-2 friendly draw in which Leo scored one of Argentina’s goals.
Argentina vs Mexico in Qatar
The most recent clash between Argentina and Mexico took place on November 26, 2022, on Matchday 2 of the World Cup group stage in Qatar. Lionel Scaloni’s squad had lost their opener against Saudi Arabia and were on the brink of elimination, but Lionel Messi came to the rescue with a second-half goal that sparked a crucial 2-0 victory.
“It was more about the relief of scoring that important goal than anything against the fans, but the stadium was intense,” Messi recalled about his celebration. “Mexico always brings fans everywhere, to every World Cup. I think it was one of the only, or maybe the only match where it felt like there were more Mexicans than Argentinians. I think it was pretty even.”
From: bolavip.com
