Marcos Senesi, dreaming of the World Cup: ‘It’s a childhood dream’ | OneFootball

With 44 days to go until the 2026 World Cup, the excitement among players for a spot in their national team’s squad is more alive than ever. Marcos Senesi, a key player and long-time leader at Bournemouth, expressed his desire to travel with the Argentina national team to the World Cup.

“I have that dream, it’s been a dream since I was a kid because from the moment you first kick a ball, you want to play in a World Cup, and I know it’s close. I’d love to make it happen,” he said.

The center-back born in Concordia, speaking with Radio La Red, highlighted what it is like to live and work alongside the rest of the squad during each call-up: “Among the defenders we have a very healthy competition. We all know the quality of players this national team has and also what many of them have given to it. It’s great to share that with them.”

He also spoke about what it is like to share a dressing room with Lionel Messi. “It’s incredible. Seeing what he does every day in training and in matches is a privilege. If I get to go to the World Cup, hopefully we can do our best and enjoy it. Whether it will be his last World Cup or not, I don’t know,” he said about the captain’s future. He added: “Every time I go to the national team, my Bournemouth teammates ask me to get them a Messi shirt and I don’t even have one of Leo’s shirts myself, haha!”

Asked about this request from the English club’s players, Senesi revealed: “For me, having one of Leo’s shirts would be a privilege. It would be the most treasured shirt I could ever have, but the truth is I have enormous respect for him and I feel the right moment has to come to ask him for it.”

Speaking about the Argentina national team, the former San Lorenzo defender praised Lionel Scaloni and his coaching staff. “One thing I really like about him and his staff is that they take the time to show you videos of yourself, they ask you what you felt in certain moments, they tell you what they want. You have that back-and-forth, which is really good, and you learn, which is the most important thing,” he said.

Senesi is one of the main reasons behind Bournemouth’s strong form. The Cherries are unbeaten in 13 matches across all competitions and sit seventh with 49 points, with hopes of qualifying for an international competition.

Given this run of form, the Argentine analyzed his season and the evolution of the defender’s role over the years: “After the injury I had, I’m having a very good season. Over time football changes, and today there are many coaches who like defenders to have the ball or take more risks. I’ve always been a player who liked having the ball and making the team play. It’s not that I used to just clear it long and then changed — I’ve always wanted to play.”

Finally, Marcos Senesi was asked about his future. His contract with his club expires at the end of June, and rumors of an agreement in principle with Tottenham (the team he would join next season as long as they avoid relegation) are growing stronger. “I don’t have a preference for any particular league. Obviously, I like playing in the Premier League and I enjoy the level of competition there, but I’m not ruling out playing in another league to have a different experience,” he said. The center-back has also attracted interest from Barcelona, Juventus, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund, among others.

Regarding that interest, the Bournemouth captain said: “My teammates get annoyed because they tell me I’ve probably already signed with some club. They don’t believe me when I say I still don’t know what I’m going to do. As things stand today, I haven’t signed anything and I don’t know where I’m going to end up,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.