Lionel Messi ya fitar da wani bayani mai ban mamaki kafin gasar cin kofin duniya ta FIFA 2026 na zagaye na huɗu tsakanin Argentina da Ingila: a cikin dukkan aikinsa mai tsawon shekaru da yawa a matakin ƙoli, bai taɓa fafata da Ingilawa ba a duk tsawon rayuwarsa.

"Na taka wa kowa sai dai Ingila," in ji Messi wa ESPN Argentina, yana mai nuna yadda haduwar ranar Laraba a Atlanta take da matukar ƙima. "Yin wasa da Ingila na musamman ne saboda su ƙarfi ne, kuma wasannin da ƙarfafan duniya suna koyaushe na musamman."

Argentina sun kai matakin ƙarshe huɗu bayan nasarar 3-1 akan Switzerland a cikin lokacin ƙari a ranar Asabar, yayin da Ingila ma suka buƙaci ƙarin mintuna 30 don kayar da Norway, 2-1. Ƙungiyoyi biyu sun iso Atlanta bayan an fara musu wahala kafin su sami hanyar ci gaba.

Gasar tarihi da sabunta — da kuma karo na farko a mutum

Wannan wasa yana ɗauke da nauyin tarihi mai yawa, wanda ke wakiltar ɗaya daga cikin ƙiyayar da ba ta da misali a tarihin ƙwallon ƙafa na duniya. Amma ga Messi, yanki ne da bai taɓa shiga ba. Duk da wakiltar Argentina a Kofuna da dama na Duniya da gasar Copa América, bai taɓa sanya rigar shuɗi da fari a fuskar Ingila ba — sai yanzu.

"Za mu ɗaukar shi kamar yadda yake: zagaye na huɗu na Kofin Duniya da gaɓar ƙungiya mai girma, kuma za mu ƙoƙari cewa mun zo cikin mafi kyawun yanayi don fafata sake," in ji shi. "Wasa ne mai tarihi mai yawa, amma mu 'yan ƙwararru ne. Za mu kawo kansa kamar kowace wasa kuma mu ba da komai har ƙarshe."

Halin ƙungiyar na ci gaba da tura Argentina gaba

Messi ya kuma yi amfani da wannan dama don nuna yunwar da ba ta ƙoshi a cikin sansanin Argentina, ko da bayan kambun da ƙungiyar ta samu kwanan nan.

"Wannan ƙungiyar ba ta taɓa tsayawa; koyaushe suna son ƙari kuma suna ƙoƙarin kai ga matakin mafi kyau," in ji shi. "Abin da wannan ƙungiyar ta cimma ba abu ne ɗan kadan ba: cin Kofin Duniya, cin Copa América, da kuma kaiwa zagaye na huɗu karo ɗaya kuma."

Argentina za su fafata da Ingila a Atlanta ranar Laraba, tare da wuri a cikin ƙarshen gasar FIFA World Cup 2026 a kan lamari.