The former Argentine defender Pablo Zabaleta was also overwhelmed by the heavy loss of the Gaucos with 0:3 from Croatia. This defeat may be fatal for the team in the battle to reach the 1/8-final. The right defender is of the opinion that such a failure will cause Lionel Messi to finally give up the national team.
'It hurts me for Messi. It was his last chance to win something with Argentina. So I will not be surprised if he leaves the national team after the World Cup. He will be disappointed, and the next World Cup in Qatar is for four years!', said Zabaleta. He also spoke about the game, saying everyone in Argentina would be foolish after the team`s presentation. 'People in Argentina are furious at the moment. Expectations to these players were much higher. They were close to the Brazilian title, then twice as close to winning Copa America. People were eagerly awaiting this World Cup and will not take lightly such a presentation. The coach should collect the players and hold a serious conversation about what happened. I had not seen such a representation from Argentina. There was no spirit, and it was strange. In the second half we were not at the right level. I think it was difficult for the players to recover mentally after the mistake of Caballero. All the players competed for big teams and had to perform much, much better!', said Zabaleta.
