‘Messi’s hunger for victory is what keeps him going’

Former Argentine star Maxi Rodriguez gave a candid interview about his memories of the Qatar World Cup, the magic of Scaloni, and his experience of seeing Maradona up close.

Few people know Lionel Messi better than Maxi Rodriguez. Not only because they played together on the national team, but because the two started out in the same place—the academy of Argentina’s famous club Newell’s Old Boys.

The two stars, who grew up playing football on the streets of Rosario, later crossed paths with the national team. When Messi made his debut at the 2006 World Cup, the 19-year-old Messi came on as a substitute for Rodriguez. Rodriguez joked, “I always tell Messi that when I high-fived him as he left the field, the football magic in me went into him.”

Rodriguez, who played in three consecutive World Cups—2006, 2010, and 2014—recently opened up about Messi, Maradona, and the current Argentina team in a chat with FIFA. Here are some highlights from his chat, with the 2026 World Cup in mind:

Question: In the 2010 World Cup, your coach was Diego Maradona and your teammate was Messi. What was it like to have two of the best footballers in the world together?

Maxi Rodriguez: It was like a dream. I grew up watching Maradona play, he was my idol. And Leo is a legend. After practice, when we would stay on the field to take free kicks, Diego (Maradona) would join us. We would watch the way Maradona and Messi took shots. The way Maradona would shoot the ball was incredible! I don’t think our back-up goalkeeper Anduhar could stop a single shot from him. It was like Diego was teaching Messi the art of taking free kicks. And Leo has so much success, yet he is also a very humble person.

Question: As a former player, how was the 2022 Qatar World Cup for you?

Maxi Rodriguez: I was doing commentary at the time. I could understand the mental pressure of those who were playing on the field. Because I also played in that jersey. So when Argentina became the champion, the joy was overwhelming. I cried with joy after winning the trophy. As an Argentine, and as a former teammate of Messi, it was a dream come true. This was the only trophy left in Leo’s career. This trophy blew away all the criticism against him in one blow.

Question: What aspect of Lionel Scaloni as a coach impresses you the most?

Maxi Rodriguez: Scaloni understands the dressing room very well. Knowing football tactics is one thing, and uniting 26 people with different mindsets is another. He understands everyone’s mind. As a player, Scaloni was very angry and restless on the field, but in the dugout he is now so calm that I myself am surprised! But the most important thing is that despite all this success, he remains as down-to-earth as ever.

Question: What has changed in the mentality of this team after the victory over Qatar?

Maxi Rodriguez: They now have the experience of winning big tournaments. But their hunger to win has not diminished. Many of the coaches and footballers of this team are my friends. I have seen from talking to them that they are not slowing down just because they won in Qatar. They still have the hunger to rewrite history. They will fight to retain their title in the 2026 World Cup.

Question: What is keeping Messi from ruining everything again?

Maxi Rodriguez: Only the hunger to win and the urge to create new history. Messi doesn’t think about breaking records, he just loves playing for his country. His only goal now is to become the world champion again. He has achieved everything because of this determination and mentality. And this is why we can still enjoy Messi playing in that number 10 jersey of Argentina.