Lionel Messi has laughed off the tough treatment he got from Cape Verde during Argentina’s World Cup last-16 qualifier.
He joked that his opponents “kick the crap” out of him on the pitch, but later lined up to ask for his shirt and take selfies with them.
Messi shared a fun moment with Cape Verde’s players after Argentina won 3-2 at the World Cup in Miami on Friday.
Several Cape Verde players waited after the game to ask him for shirts and photos, and he was happy to oblige, according to Goal.com.
Argentina faced a tough challenge throughout the match from their determined opponents.
“They asked for my jersey, everything… On the field, they kick the crap out of me,” Messi joked, as reported by TyC Sports.
He also gave credit to set-pieces for the win, saying Argentina had struggled to score from them in their recent games.
“We’ve been working on it for a while, both offensively and defensively. In a competition like this, it’s important.”
Argentina moved on to the next round, but Messi said there was still room for improvement. He mentioned that his team lost control after taking the lead instead of building on it.
“We lost possession, we sat back, we couldn’t press effectively,” he said.
Argentina’s victory secured their place in the last 16, where they will play against Egypt after the North Africans won on penalties against Australia.
Messi also reached a personal milestone, scoring his 20th career World Cup goal.
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