France 1998 World Cup winner, Frank Leboeuf, has singled out Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka as the player to keep an eye on Lionel Messi in the quarter-final.
Argentina will face off the European team for a spot in the tournament’s semi-finals on Sunday, July 12.
Messi has had an outstanding performance thus far, with his latest contribution being a goal and an assist in the thrilling victory over Egypt in the previous round. The 39-year-old forward has proven to be the most crucial and threatening player for his team, prompting Leboeuf to offer Switzerland advice on how to contain him.
During a discussion on ESPN FC, the former France international expressed his desire to see Xhaka tasked with marking Messi, emphasizing that Argentina would struggle in his absence. He highlighted the reigning champions’ recent difficulties, asserting that a well-structured team could potentially neutralize them.
“You will have Granit Xhaka responsible for Messi. I want to witness that. It will be intriguing to observe how the Argentine players cope without Messi’s influence. Switzerland will recognize that Argentina is not the same team without him.”
“Argentina has been winning by narrow margins lately. Eventually, they will falter. If you are a well-organized Swiss team, the outcome could be quite different,” he remarked.
Lionel Messi and Granit Xhaka faced each other 12 years ago in Brazil, where Argentina secured a 1-0 victory after extra time. La Albiceleste has won all their matches in this summer’s competition, with both of their knockout stage encounters concluding with a score of 3-2.
Messi has had an impressive tournament, netting eight goals and providing an assist in just five appearances for La Albiceleste. The Inter Miami player has scored in every match and has been instrumental in their last two victories.
Former Barcelona star, Messi has been a key figure for Argentina in this summer’s tournament, despite being 39 years old. The forward is experiencing a remarkable season, breaking records in nearly every match he has played.
Messi has scored in nine consecutive games dating back to the 2022 tournament and currently shares the top spot in the goalscoring charts this summer with Kylian Mbappe. He holds the records for the most goals and assists in the competition.
(Daily Post)