De Paul: It means a lot to me to be Messi's close friend.

Another key match in the 2026 World Cup will take place, with Argentina, the "Pampas Eagles," traveling to Hard Rock Stadium to challenge Cape Verde. In an interview, De Paul stated that being good friends with Messi is very meaningful to him, emphasizing that friendship is one of the most important things in life.

With goals from Lo Celso, Lautaro Martinez and Messi, Argentina defeated Jordan 3-1 in the third round of the World Cup group stage, successfully advancing to the round of 32 with three consecutive wins.

Argentine midfielder De Paul said, "For me, the most important thing now is to cherish every day Messi is still on the field, just like every Argentinian. Often, people only learn to appreciate things after they've lost them, and that's part of life. But right now, we're all enjoying the time we have him by our side."

"Being Messi's best friend means a lot to me. Friendship is one of the most important things in life. I feel really lucky to be able to be by his side and share these moments with him, both on and off the field."

Furthermore, Cape Verde, which Argentina will face, drew with Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia during the group stage, raising questions about their defensive capabilities.

De Paul said, "We will be facing a team that performed very well in the group stage. They played well against every opponent. We must approach tomorrow's game with a high degree of responsibility because it is a very important match for us."

“We’ve played a lot of knockout matches, but every game is different. The emotions and feelings are very intense, and you never know what kind of impact that will have.”

DePaul also stated, "But with experience, you'll learn how to manage these emotions. Ultimately, however, these are still real emotions that you must learn to cope with."

Image source: Internet