"I've only seen him in video games", the confession of a Brazilian star about Messi

Undoubtedly the most interesting match of the November international break is the one to be played at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro this Tuesday. Brazil and Argentina will face each other in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, looking for a victory that will allow them to recover from their defeats against Colombia and Uruguay, respectively.

Unlike what happened in previous years, this time the favorites to win the match are the Argentines. They were world champions in Qatar 2022 and have been showing excellent performances for some time now, with a very offensive and showy style. The Brazilians, on the other hand, are going through a period of transition since the departure of coach Tité. While waiting for the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti, who is reported to join the team next summer, the interim manager is Fernando Diniz.

As usual before each match, some of Brazil's players held a press conference and answered questions from journalists. Gabriel Martinelli was one of them, and he said: "Our team is evolving, but we all play in big clubs, we have responsibilities and pressure. Whoever plays in the Brazilian national team knows the weight of wearing this shirt".

When asked about the match against Argentina, the Arsenal forward answered: "We know the importance of this game, which everyone has always dreamed of playing, especially at the Maracana. We talked about it with Diniz: that the match arrives quickly, because it is a game that you have to want to play, give your best and win it. It is a very important game for this process".

He admires Leo

Martinelli also spoke about Lionel Messi and did not hide his admiration for him: “He is a phenomenal player, the best in the world again this year. I just want to enjoy the moment of being able to play against him, to be able to be in the same stadium as him, to watch him up close, because I've only seen him in video games. It's going to be a wonderful experience”.