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Maradona’s ex-trainer urges Lionel Messi to 'prioritise' 2026 World Cup, calls MLS ‘a parody of football’
According to the US football calendar, Lionel Messi will have less competitive action by the time the World Cup begins.
Lionel Messi is having a good time with Inter Miami, as they recently beat New York City in the Eastern Conference Final. Miami sealed a 5-1 win, sealing a bid to the MLS Cup 2025 in the process, and Messi also got an assist. The Argentine also overtook Ferenc Puskas for the most career assists of all time, with 405. However, Diego Maradona's trainer, Fernando Signorini, believes that the former Barcelona star should take a break with his family from the MLS and consider a short-term loan away from Inter Miami, as Argentina prepares for next year's FIFA World Cup.
According to the US football calendar, Messi will have less competitive action by the time the World Cup begins, in contrast to other players plying their trade in Europe.
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Signorini, who worked with Maradona in the past, told Super Deportivo Radio that the Argentine attacker needs to 'prioritise the World Cup'. He also called MLS 'a parody of football'.
"Leo needs to prioritise the World Cup. He's caught up in this infernal record-breaking machine that I don't know the point of, because what he's doing now (Inter Miami) isn't football, it's a parody of football," he said.
Regarding his participation in the World Cup, in the past, Messi has said that he needs to 'feel physically fit' to represent Argentina. Speaking to SPORT, he said, "I don't want to be a burden, so to speak. I want to feel physically fit, to be sure I can help and contribute to the team. Our season is different from the European one. We'll have a pre-season in between, with few matches leading up to the World Cup, and we'll see how things go day by day to see if I really feel physically fit enough to be where I'd like to be and be able to participate."
"But obviously, I'm aware that it's a World Cup, and it's special, and that the World Cup is the biggest competition there is. So, I'm excited, but I'm taking it one day at a time," he added.
