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Argentine player Messi not desperate for personal goal

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-23 15:14

Greece's Socratis Papastathopoulos (L) fights for the ball with Argentina's Lionel Messi during a 2010 World Cup Group B soccer match at Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane June 22, 2010. [Agencies]

POLOKWANE - Argentina's World Cup striker Lionel Messi said on Tuesday that he is not desperate for personal goal since "the important thing is the team to continue advancing".

The Barcelona forward has not scored yet at the World Cup of South Africa 2010.

Messi said Argentina "had a great match" against Greece, winning 2-0 at the last date of the Group B.

"I wish the team to continue winning, if I have not scored yet, it does not matter. I hope to score in the second round against Mexico," Messi said.

Messi told TV channel Telefe that he is happy of being the captain at Tuesday's match, the youngest skipper in Argentine soccer history.

The soccer star also said that during that match the referee from Uzbekistan Ravshan Irmatov "allowed Greece everything and supported its game".

"He did not let us play, but we also fought against that and we surpassed it," Messi said.

Argentina will face Mexico in the second round of the World Cup on Sunday in a match to be played in Johannesburg, seeking to be among the eight better teams of the Cup.