Argentina Fans Cheer Loudly for Messi in Qatar

In preparation for the Latin American team becoming the first to establish their base camp in Qatar on Monday, Argentina football supporters yelled their confidence that Lionel Messi's final World Cup will be a success.

Thirteen days before the start of the competition, a sizable crowd gathered outside the World Cup countdown clock on Doha's waterfront to sing Messi's name and wave flags.

When Matas Villarroel, Silvio Gatti, Leandro Blanco, and Lucas Ledezma arrived in Doha on Monday after cycling 10,500 kilometers (6,500 miles) across Africa, a large crowd gathered around the countdown clock to greet them. The other supporters and the motorcyclists, meanwhile, were thinking about Messi.

"The dream behind cycling this whole route is that Argentina will win the World Cup and that Leo will lift the trophy on December 18," said Blanco.

Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, yet one of the best players in history, Lionel Messi, has only reached one losing final. That was in 2014.

"The emotion we feel here is immense, we spent six months cycling through Africa and the Middle East, to be here in Doha today and for this party."

"We have a lot of faith and a lot of hope, that's why we have done all this craziness, so we are starting to live this beautiful World Cup here in Qatar."

Around them, supporters cheering for Argentina in blue and white jerseys were insulting England with a well-known phrase. They said, "If you don't jump up and down, you are English."

To set up the squad headquarters at Qatar University, the first group of Argentine technical personnel and football federation officials was scheduled to fly into Doha early on Tuesday.

Some of their supporters arrived in Qatar to work months earlier in an effort to gather money so they could watch Messi and the squad life.

"Messi's last World Cup, I'm a bit upset but confident that the national team is going to do its best and that with a bit of luck we will be holding the trophy in a month's time," said Caillava, 22, who traveled to Qatar to work.

Marco, who only gave one name, said he would be working at the FIFA fan festival in Doha. "We are expecting a party for Messi's last World Cup, so it's the one we are going to enjoy the most. This team is the most prepared so, it's where the team is the most prepared, so this is going to be unique."

It is noteworthy that Argentina, unbeaten in 35 games since 2019, starts in Group C against Mexico, Poland, and Saudi Arabia.

This article was previously published on qatarmoments.To see the original article, click here