Share

Late win 'marvellous' way to progress - Messi

Saint Petersburg - A relieved Lionel Messi believes Argentina deserve their place in the last 16 of the World Cup after being saved by Marcos Rojo's late winner against Nigeria as they avoided an embarrassing group-stage exit.

READ: Argentina sensationally qualify for last 16

Messi opened the scoring in Saint Petersburg with his first goal of the tournament, but Victor Moses's early second-half penalty made it another nervous night in Russia for the five-time world player of the year and under-fire coach Jorge Sampaoli before Rojo's late intervention.

"It is marvellous to have won it in this manner. It is a deserved joy," Messi said in quotes published by Argentina's official Twitter account.

"We knew God was with us and wasn't going to let us go out.

"I thank all the fans that are here, for all their sacrifice and to all those in Argentina that were always with us. The shirt of the national team is above all else."

Argentina will need a vast improvement if they are to progress any further as they face highly fancied France in the last 16 on Saturday.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2239 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE