Former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo has jumped to the defence of Lionel Messi, saying he needs help from his team-mates to win the World Cup in Russia.
The Barcelona superstar endured a difficult opening game at the tournament on Saturday, missing a penalty in his side’s surprising 1-1 draw with Group D rivals Iceland.
“Let’s start with a fact: Messi deserves a five [for his performance],” Crespo told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Of course, we expect more from him, but Messi is not [Diego] Maradona, alone he does not win a World Cup.
Messi will be looking to bounce back when Argentina take on Croatia – who defeated Nigeria 2-0 on Saturday – at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Thursday.