Claudio “ Chiqui ” Tapia y Lionel Messi protagonizaron un curioso intercambio tras la victoria por 3 a 0 de la selección argentina en el debut en el Mundial 2026 frente a Argelia. Cuando el astro rosarino se acercó a hablar con la prensa, el presidente de la Asociación de Fútbol Argentina (AFA) pasó por detrás con la que parecía ser la pelota del hat-trick del capitán del combinado albiceleste.
“ No sé si es la pelota la que tiene el Chiqui [en alusión a Tapia, presidente de la AFA]”, expresó Messi ante un periodista en la zona mixta del Arrowhead Stadium , cuando se percató de que Tapia llevaba consigo la Trionda, luego del estreno del equipo dirigido por Scaloni, que empezó firme en el campeonato del mundo.
La pelota del hat-trick de Messi En el video puede verse al capitán argentino hacer sus declaraciones sin desatender quién pasaba detrás suyo. Al advertir que era Tapia quien caminaba en su dirección, el notero le preguntó: “ Chiqui: ¿esa es la pelota de Leo? "
Con una sonrisa y con gafas de sol, el mandamás de la AFA evitó responder, pero le entregó a Messi la pelota que llevaba en sus manos. El delantero de Inter Miami la recibió y se detuvo a observarla, sin embargo, se la devolvió y Tapia continuó su camino.
“Esa es la pelota que tenía Marito [De Stéfano, utilero de la selección]. Capaz que sí, capaz que sea ”, concluyó Messi.
El hat-trick (truco del sombrero, por su traducción del inglés) es un término que nació en 1858 en el críquet británico. En aquel entonces, cuando un lanzador lograba eliminar a tres bateadores de manera consecutiva, el club le regalaba un sombrero como reconocimiento .
Con el transcurrir de los años, la popularidad del concepto se trasladó a otros deportes , incluido el fútbol. Pero con una salvedad: en lugar de un sombrero, el premio físico más accesible y representativo pasó a ser la pelota con la que se estaba jugando el partido.
Con sus tres goles ante Argelia, Messi lleva convertidos 16 goles en la historia de los Mundiales. Con esa cifra, el astro argentino alcanzó al alemán Miroslav Klose en la cima de la tabla de máximos goleadores históricos de las Copas del Mundo.
Luego de su participación estelar y tras el primer partido argentino en el Mundial 2026, Messi explicó por qué se emocionó y rompió en llanto tras el primero de sus tres goles. “ Pasé unos días difíciles ”, confesó el astro rosarino.
Consultado por la prensa sobre la emoción en el primer gol, Messi relató: “ Fue una cuestión ajena a lo deportivo . Pasé unos días difíciles y complicados. Agradecido a la delegación y a todos mis compañeros. Siempre estuvieron a mi lado y me dieron fuerza para que esté bien”. Aunque el capitán argentino nunca detalló a qué se refería con sus dichos.
La emoción de Messi tras su primer gol en el Mundial 2026 Por otra parte, el jugador rosarino analizó el desempeño del plantel argentino en el partido de este martes: “ Estuvimos bien paraditos cuando tuvimos la pelota y supimos manejar muy bien el partido ”. También destacó la buena técnica y la intensidad de los jugadores argelinos.
“ Teníamos la experiencia del último y nadie regala nada ”, señaló Messi en referencia a la dificultad de los primeros partidos en los mundiales y recordando el debut de la selección argentina en el Mundial 2022, frente a Arabia Saudita.
El próximo desafío que tendrán Messi y compañía será el día lunes 22 , cuando la selección argentina enfrente a Austria desde las 14 horas en el Dallas Stadium por la segunda fecha del grupo J.
Read the full article at La Nación →8 reports
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