FIFA president Gianni Infantino has piled on the pressure on Lionel Messi, hinting that the Argentine star needs to win a World Cup in order to truly be considered an all-time great. 

 

Speaking to La Nacion, the Italian said that “Messi is extraordinary but he is yet to win a World Cup.”

Argentina are in trouble at the moment, and need to beat Ecuador in order to give themselves a chance of qualifying automatically, but their fate is not in their hands, with Colombia and Peru (both ahead of them) facing off in Lima. 

 

 “There are lots of amazing players who never won the World Cup and that is what made Diego so special in football – winning major titles for both club and country,” Infantino continued. 

 

What is particular is that both Messi and rival Cristiano Ronaldo - considered to be two of the world’s best players - could miss out, seeing as Portugal themselves could be eliminated in the playoffs. 

 

“Messi may be there (in Russia) and we may see him in 2022 because he very rarely picks up injuries, even if players try to foul him, they can't get near.”