Former France international and Man United star, Patrice Evra, is known for his catchphrase ‘I love this game’ as much as his football prowess, though there was one recent match that he clearly didn’t enjoy, and so much so that he ended up bawling his eyes out.
Current Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina talisman, Lionel Messi, appears to have a habit of making grown men cry and that’s usually to do with his spectacular feats on the football pitch.
In this case, it was La Albiceleste’s lifting of the 2022 World Cup title which reduced Evra to a quivering wreck.
After so many attempts at trying to emulate the late, great Diego Maradona, Messi finally got his hands on the game’s greatest prize.
As on so many occasions before, the diminutive No.10 lifted his performance and consequently that of his colleagues to ever higher levels and, in the end, almost single-handedly got Argentina over the line against France.
Evra was so distraught that it was days before he could properly digest the events in Qatar.
“I watched the match live and I cried. I did not expect it,” he admitted to RMC Sport.
“For three days I was in pain. And I said to myself ‘Patrice, I know you love the France team’… but it hurt me so much.”
Perhaps Evra won’t have too long to wait to celebrate another French world title. Les Bleus have one of the strongest squads in world football and will surely dominate for years to come.
Though Messi might still want something to say about that…
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