FIFA World Cup 2022: Lionel Messi arrives in Qatar, set to play Argentina vs UAE friendly match - Check Details

Argentina captain Lionel Messi arrived in Doha, Qatar on Monday ahead of his side's friendly match against United Arba Emirates (UAE) in Abu Dhabi on November 16. Argentina are gearing up for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Messi missed an encounter between Paris Saint-Germain and Auxerre as he recovers from a slight injury that won't prevent him from competing in the World Cup. The 35-year-old former Barcelona player will begin his World Cup preparations alongside teammates, according to Argentine journalist Gaston Edul, as Argentina is scheduled to train with half of its squad for open training at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Argentina is in Group C with Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Poland.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Ole also claimed that the current La Albiceleste team is identical to the one that lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final after extra time.

“At World Cups, there are always things that happen that you don’t imagine,” Messi, who was selected by Lionel Scaloni’s 26-man squad, told Ole. “At the 2014 World Cup, we performed very well, which was an unforgettable experience. I enjoyed it a lot, and where it became clear to me more than ever that the main and most important thing is to be a strong and united group. I feel a lot of similarities between this group and the 2014 World Cup. It is a group that always, whatever the match, plays with the same intensity and concentration, and I think that is very important. And we know that we are going to fight for it, but we (don’t think) we are going to be champions from the outset as Argentines think,” he added.

With a current unbeaten streak of 35 games that started in 2019, Argentina is one of the favourites in Qatar. In 2021, La Albiceleste won the Copa America, Messi's sole trophy with Argentina, after defeating Brazil by a score of 1-all. At 37 games, Italy now holds the record for the longest winning streak.