According to Ole, two days before Argentina's first FIFA World Cup match, Aguero, Tevez, Gallardo, Lavezzi, Falcao, and Ruggeri all spoke about Messi, and generally believed that he was expected to start against Algeria.

Aguero said on his ESPN show "La Casa del Kun": "Even if Messi has already won championships and the FIFA World Cup, he will still want to keep winning until he retires, because that's the kind of person he is. He will never slack off, so he will always want to give his best."

He also added: "This is definitely his last FIFA World Cup. Age-wise, of course, we hope he can make it to the next one, but that would be even harder, as he would be around 42 or 43 by then." Aguero also mentioned that 41-year-old Cristiano is participating in this tournament with Portugal.

Falcao stated that even though Messi is 38 and will turn 39 in just over a week, he can still change the game with his wisdom: "With the current intensity of the game, he can still make a difference, mainly relying on his wisdom and superior ability. He relies heavily on his game reading ability because these young players now run too fast."

Tevez added: "He's completely different." Lavezzi said: "People say he's the greatest of all time, so what standard can you use to measure others? There's simply no comparison. As long as he wants to play, he will continue to make a difference because he will drop back slightly, play as a double pivot, and give you the ball. If he wants to, he can keep scoring goals against others."

Lavezzi also said: "I think how far Messi can go depends on his mind. The problem is that he wants to win every game he plays. That's why he has so many Ballon d'Or awards and is said to be the greatest of all time. He has consistency and a hunger for championships that others don't."

Aguero finally hoped that Messi could start against Algeria, but only if it didn't involve physical risk: "I hope Messi starts, but the problem is if we take a risk for him to play, even if there's a slight discomfort, we will mess up the FIFA World Cup. It's not that we can't play without Messi, because we have played games without Messi, but you will lose a... you know that even if he only plays 20, 30, or 35 minutes, he can make a huge impact. I hope he can play. Knowing him better, if he says he's fine, he will play."

Gallardo finally stated that Messi is very aware of his physical condition: "He knows his body. I think he has the desire to keep playing until his last day of playing, and to play happily."