Rodrigo de Paul left a note for teammate Lionel Messi in his room during the Argentina camp two months before the FIFA World Cup 2022, predicting the fate of their campaign.
The Atletico Madrid midfielder’s note stated, “I am Rodrigo De Paul (7). It is 9/18/2022. I sign this paper and say that we will win the World Cup two months from now.”
De Paul posts a picture of a paper in which he writes: “I am Rodrigo De Paul (7). It is 9/18/2022. I sign this paper and say that we will win the World Cup two months from now.”De Paul hid it in Messi's room during the national team camp. pic.twitter.com/eZTJs9lsjh
— MC (@CrewsMat10) December 18, 2022
At that time the Argentinian side was in the middle of their World Cup preparations with international friendlies against Honduras and Jamaica lined up. La Albiceleste came into the tournament with an incredible 36-match unbeaten streak.
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They were one of the favourites to lift the trophy but a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening game of the event dented their confidence.
Despite the setback, Lionel Scaloni’s men battled hard and won their remaining group games to qualify for the next round.
Messi then stepped up to the occasion scoring a goal in each of the knockout games of the tournament, making him the only player to do so in world cup history.
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This feat is even more impressive considering that he never scored after the group stages of the World Cup prior to the Qatar edition.
De Paul’s work rate and dogged mentality gave Argentina an edge in the middle of the turf. The 28-year-old worked tirelessly including in the final where France found it tough to hold the ball for long periods.
Messi won the Golden Ball award after scoring seven goals and three assists in seven matches during the competition and thus cementing his place as one of the greatest ever.
The Paris Saint Germain star scored two goals in the finale with his brilliance being matched by club teammate Kylian Mbappe who got a hattrick on the night, forcing the game into a shootout.
This makes the 23-year-old only the second player to ever score a hattrick in a World Cup final after Geoff Hurst.
Angel di Maria and Emiliano Martinez also played crucial roles in helping Argentina lift their first World Cup trophy since 1986.
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