Former Argentina international Osvaldo Ardiles has voiced his admiration for Lionel Messi and believes the Barcelona star will have three more chances to win the World Cup after last year’s failed attempt.
The 27-year-old came close to guiding his country to World Cup glory in Brazil last summer, but Germany eventually proved to be too strong, with Mario Gotze scoring the deciding goal in extra time.
Nevertheless, Ardiles thinks Messi’s extraordinary physique will allow him to challenge for the trophy at least two more times, and possibly even a third time.
“Messi is fabulous, marvellous, extraordinary. It is incredible how good he is,” Ardiles told sc.qa.
“How many more chances he will get to win the World Cup? At least two. Maybe three. Especially with the form in which football is played now. No one touches you, there are no fouls and he is very good physically.
“Argentina are always a candidate with our great young players coming up constantly and, of course, with Messi, the best player in the world. We also have other excellent players, so we will be strong candidates in 2018.”
The 1978 World Cup winner then went on to look back at last summer’s tournament and acknowledged that Germany deserved their win.
“Argentina played very well, we were just missing a little bit more. Germany were the best team of the tournament and deserved to win it.
“I think there are only two or three teams that can beat them at the moment and Argentina is one of those. For one reason or another it didn’t work out in the final and we have to accept that. To be finalists is a big achievement as well.”