Lionel Messi and Argentina pay tribute to Diego Maradona in the first national team match since his departure
The Argentine Football Association commemorated one of the most prominent legends of the game, the late Diego Maradona, by erecting a statue of him that was revealed before the national team match against Chile at dawn on Thursday in the Latin American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.
Lionel Messi was among the attendees of the unveiling of the statue of Maradona in front of the Unico Madres de Ciudad stadium in the Argentine city of Santiago del Esteiro, and was accompanied by the technical staff and players.
The statue depicts Maradona with his hands on his waist and the ball in front of him, with the inscription “Diego Maradona, 1960-2020” and a symbol representing infinity.
The players of the national team honored the memory of the Argentine legend by wearing T-shirts featuring the image of Maradona during the warm-up process for their match against Chile, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
On the same day, Messi dedicated the memory of the late Maradona in a special way, as he celebrated scoring Argentina's only goal against Chile in the manner of El Pelusa Maradona (with thick hair), as social media pioneers shared comparisons of the Argentine star's celebration with Maradona.
Speaking to the media after the end of the meeting, Messi said: "It was a very special match because it was the first without Diego. We know that the national team meant a lot to him and that he was present with us today.. It was also a special match for the current state of the country and the whole world. It is an exceptional and difficult situation." Too much for everyone."
Maradona had died of a heart attack on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, while recovering from brain surgery at the time.
Source:1
