Monday, 14th July, 2014
Manchester United coach Phil Neville believes Lionel Messi looked exhausted at the World Cup.
Messi ended up on the losing side in last night's World Cup final, as his Argentina team were edged out 1-0 in extra-time by Germany.
The Barcelona forward missed a clear chance, dragging a shot wide of the post, while in almost the final kick of the game, he blasted a free-kick high and wide of the German goal.
Messi was still handed the Player of the Tournament accolade, something that has split opinion. And Neville feels that while Messi did shine in glimpses, he was clearly not in peak physical condition.
"He looked exhausted throughout the tournament", Neville explained to BBC Radio 5 live.
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"He played in five-minute bursts where he looked the best player in the world, but mostly he drifted through games.
"In the knockout stages he looked shattered, but he's still a great player", the former Everton defender concluded.
Messi did bag a contender for the goal of the tournament, curling a long range shot into the back of the net against Iran.
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