Messi is aware that being the defending champions puts a heavy burden on Argentina, but he warned that it won't be easy to beat them.
Regarding the commitment that can be expected from the team, Messi affirmed: "This group deserves everything that's happening to them.
Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, but we've been fortunate in recent years to have positive results.
It's difficult, and it gets harder every time, but we've gotten used to it and we've gotten the fans used to it, and we're going to try to repeat that.
Have no doubt that it will be difficult for our rivals to beat us because we're a very competitive team."
Messi is aware that being the defending champions puts a heavy burden on Argentina, but he warned that it won't be easy to beat them. The captain appealed to the competitiveness that has characterised Lionel Scaloni's tenure and asked the fans to maintain their faith in the players who have already shown character in the most difficult matches.
Regarding the commitment that can be expected from the team, Messi affirmed: "This group deserves everything that's happening to them. We're going to try as we always have, so that people have no doubt that we're going to give it our all, as we all have and as we've been doing all this time. As we always did when I was with the National Team. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, but we've been fortunate in recent years to have positive results. It's difficult, and it gets harder every time, but we've gotten used to it and we've gotten the fans used to it, and we're going to try to repeat that. Then it may or may not happen, that's football. Have no doubt that it will be difficult for our rivals to beat us because we're a very competitive team."
