🙌 Greatness recognises greatness: Rafa Nadal, Leo Messi’s inspiration | OneFootball

The World Cup has produced one of the tournament’s most viral images after Argentina’s masterclass against Algeria. Lionel Messi, the game’s biggest star, dazzled all the fans with a spectacular hat-trick that puts La Albiceleste firmly on course.

https://twitter.com/Ruben_Canizares/status/2067090317484933454/video/1?s=46

Beyond the three goals, the real impact came in the mixed zone after the final whistle. The Argentine star surprised the media by revealing who inspires him to keep his hunger for victory throughout his successful career.

Messi revealed that he feels deeply identified with Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal. The forward explained that both he and his teammates have been closely following the documentary series about the Manacor native during the World Cup camp, finding in it extra motivation to face the demands of the tournament.

The Argentine captain highlighted that he shares with Nadal that unbreakable competitive mentality of pushing himself every day. The footballer made it clear that his main driving force remains his passion for the ball, which has stayed intact since he was a child.

In his own words, the No. 10 revealed the secret of his mentality: "I like playing football, it’s been my passion since I was little, and when I’m feeling good I give my maximum. We’re watching Rafa Nadal’s series and we’re very similar, I identify with him a lot. I always want to give my maximum and feel good, and that’s how I enjoy it."

With these statements, Messi shows that the great icons of sport feed off one another. The drive and the pure enjoyment on the court and on the pitch unite two of the greatest legends in the history of modern sport.

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