WHAT HAPPENED? The Argentine skipper was standing near the halfway line as Gonzalo Montiel walked up to take the winning penalty. Once the defender converted from the spot, Messi sat down on his knees as he finally realised his long-cherished dream of winning the World Cup with Argentina. Paredes, who was standing next to him during the penalty shootout was the first one to congratulate and hug Messi after capturing their third global crown.
WHAT THEY SAID: In an interview with Sofi Martinez Mateos, Paredes has now revealed what Messi’s first words were after Argentina beat France in the World Cup final: “That hug with Messi, I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. Turning around, seeing him on his knees and being the first to hug him as a World Champion was incredible. I yelled at him ‘We are World champions’ and he just told us ‘Thank you, thank you, I love you’”.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Paredes went to World Cup without being 100 per cent as he had “pain in my adductors, in the pubis” and also suffered a hamstring injury. However, coach Lionel Scaloni had his back and encouraged him to give his best. And now, after being crowned as World Champion he wants to continue winning more trophies with the next challenge being defending the Copa America title in 2024.
“Winning is addictive. It was shown when I had to speak with Leo Scaloni after he won the Best award. I congratulated him and he said ‘Now we have to go for more'” he stated.
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WHAT NEXT? Paredes will return to Paris Saint-Germain after his loan spell with Juventus ended in June. Meanwhile, Messi is set to make his debut for the Florida-based club in a Leagues Cup clash with Cruz Azul on July 21.