I would feel guilty till this day if it weren’t for him – Gonzalo Higuain on Lionel Messi

GONZALO HIGUAIN: “When we lost the World Cup final in 2014, in the locker room nobody spoke to me about the missed opportunity. Some were looking at me angrily.

I felt guilty, but Messi surprised me with a hug and said: ‘It’s okay, this is football. We made it to the final.’

Then I was told that the coach didn’t want me back on the national team, but Messi stepped in and spoke to the coach. He told him I wasn’t to blame for any of this. We all lose in football; we’re not perfect. So the coach called me up to play in the matches.

If it weren’t for Messi, I’d still feel guilty to this day. I’m happy for the one who won the World Cup—he deserves it. He has a big heart.”