Argentinian star Lionel Messi confirmed the difficulty of the match against Mexico in the second round, noting that the defeat against Saudi Arabia cost them dearly in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Messi said: "The match was very difficult, but we played well and strongly, especially in the first half. In the second half, we stayed calm and began to play the ball. There was no other option but to win so we could rely on ourselves."
He added: "The first match cost us a lot due to factors related to preparation, which were completely different from the match against Mexico; they were two separate matches. We knew that today we had to win, and that another World Cup had begun for us, and we knew how to do that."
He continued: "We can't give up now; every match we have left is a final for us to play. We can't make mistakes. We knew that people's reaction would be like this; I believe we complied. We have been together side by side for a long time."
Messi explained: "We carried the win on our shoulders, and it's tough to play in these conditions, but everyone did what they had to do, whether they started or came in as substitutes." He concluded: "We cannot give up; now we have upcoming matches that we will consider finals, and we must play and win all of them—there's no room for mistakes."
