Florence, 3 July (LaPresse) – “Did I expect Messi to be so incisive at the World Cup? Nothing about Messi surprises me anymore. I think his career speaks for itself. Lionel is a very competitive lad who still carries us along. Let’s hope he can lead all the Argentinians to the final.” So said Diego Milito, speaking about Lionel Messi’s performances at the 2026 World Cup with Argentina, on the sidelines of the ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the ‘FairPlay Menarini’ international award in Florence. “How do I feel about seeing Italy miss out on the World Cup for the third time in a row? I’m sorry. Everyone knows that Italy is my second home; I grew up in an Italian family and I feel Italian too. I’m really sorry that Italy hasn’t featured in the last three World Cups,” said the former Argentine striker, speaking about Italy’s absence from the 2026 World Cup. “There’s a lot to think about, because Italy is a world footballing power,” continued the former Genoa and Inter star, who went on to express his hope that “they’ll be able to turn things around”.
2026 World Cup, Milito: ‘Messi no longer surprises anyone; I feel sorry for Italy’
Florence, 3 July (LaPresse) – “Did I expect Messi to be so incisive at the World Cup? Nothing about Messi surprises me anymore. I think his career speaks for itself. Lionel is a very competitive lad who still carries us along. Let’s hope he can lead all the Argentinians to the final.” So said Diego Milito, speaking about Lionel Messi’s performances at the 2026 World Cup with Argentina, on the sidelines of the ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the ‘FairPlay Menarini’ international award in Florence. “How do I feel about seeing Italy miss out on the World Cup for the third time in a row? I’m sorry. Everyone knows that Italy is my second home; I grew up in an Italian family and I feel Italian too. I’m really sorry that Italy hasn’t featured in the last three World Cups,” said the former Argentine striker, speaking about Italy’s absence from the 2026 World Cup. “There’s a lot to think about, because Italy is a world footballing power,” continued the former Genoa and Inter star, who went on to express his hope that “they’ll be able to turn things around”.
