Lionel Messi was given all the motivation he needs to claim World Cup glory by Jason Cummings – but the striker has revealed Olivier Giroud wasn't as welcoming.
The mercurial Argentina playmaker completed the football clean sweep on Sunday in one of the game's iconic finals. Messi's side drew 3-3 with France after extra-time before a penalty shootout sealed their third World Cup dreams, and Cummings got to see both finalists as part of Australia's run to the last 16.
TV cameras caught the former Hibs and Rangers striker chatting with Messi as the Socceroos headed home from the tournament after a narrow 2-1 defeat and it capped a memorable 12 months for Cummings, having been in the bad books at Dundee last season. The Central Coast Mariners star joked this meeting and a subsequent Instagram post provided Messi all the tools he needed to what in his opinion is making himself football's greatest.
The 27-year-old told The Project: "I think I deserve a lot of credit (for Messi’s World Cup showing) – he’s definitely checked his phone just before, he’s seen the Cumdog pop up on his Instagram there.
“He’s checked that and it just gave him that extra motivation. I think it was the best World Cup game, never mind the final – it had everything.
"I think the debate’s over now. For me, Messi’s got the GOAT status. He’s got the World Cup – something that (Cristiano) Ronaldo hasn’t got, and probably never get the chance to win any more."
His group stage meeting with runners-up France provided different memories for Cummings though, who weren't as hospitable as their Qatar final opponents when it came to shirt swaps. He added on strike duo Kylian Mbappe and Giroud: "After the France game, I actually tried to get Mbappe – forget Giroud, I went for the top boy Mbappe – and he told me to meet him in the change rooms.
“So I went to the changing room and the kit man was there and I gave him my top and 10 minutes later he came out with my jersey and says: ‘Nah, absolutely not, (Mbappe) doesn’t want to swap’.
“So when I was walking back to my change room and I’ve seen Giroud and I’m walking, as handsome as ever, and I asked him, ‘Giroud, please man, can I get your shirt man? I’m a big fan, can I get your shirt?’
“And he just walked past me, pretended he never spoke English! And he’s been in the Premier League for 10 years! (laughing). He just walked right past me!"
READ NEXT
