Star forward Lionel Messi deserves to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup, former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo said.
"We all want Messi to win the World Cup. He deserves it. But, to be realistic, Argentina team level is lower than Germany or Spain. Those two teams will be favourites of the tournament I suppose," Crespo told TASS news agency on Tuesday.
"Thanks to Messi we qualified to the World Cup. Without him our national team cannot achieve good result," he added.
The opening ceremony for the Football Park in St. Petersburg gathered about a hundred residents and tourists with children on Saturday, as well as Russia's former forward Dmitry Sychev, Russia's people's artist Vasily Gerello and Crespo who took part in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 world championships.
Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.
--IANS
ajb/bg
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app