Lionel Messi is looking stressed and unhappy at the World Cup and that’s a real worry for Argentina, according to former defender Pablo Zabaleta.
The Barcelona star has been unable to shine in Russia so far but will be hoping to put that right on Tuesday when Argentina face Nigeria in a must-win clash.
Zabaleta says he feels sorry for Messi and feels that too much is expected from the 31-year-old, in a column written for BBC Sport.
“The happiest I saw Lionel Messi when I played alongside him for Argentina was in 2012 - he scored a hat-trick against Brazil in New York, and he played the whole game with freedom and a smile on his face.