Argentina star Leonardo Balerdi has recalled the time he faced Lionel Messi in Ligue 1 before the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He said that his friends told him not to injure the legendary forward before the Mundial.Balerdi plays for Olympique Marseille, initially joining them on loan from Borussia Dortmund in 2020. The move was made permanent the following summer. The centre-back has made 175 appearances for the French side and also contributed five goals and three assists.In a recent interview with The Guardian, the Argentina superstar recalled the time when he faced Lionel Messi just before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, saying:“You try not to think too much about who he is but there was one game before the 2022 World Cup when all my friends messaged me: ‘Do NOT injure Messi.’ I said: ‘Don’t say that!’ Playing against him was special but he played for PSG and I wanted to beat him. "As a player, he’s something else. He’s like Diego Maradona. He put Argentina on the map. For our generation, Messi represents football: our football, our people, our neighbourhoods. We’ve been lucky to have Maradona and now Messi. You have to enjoy it while he’s still playing,” he added.Lionel Messi was with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for two years from 2021 to 2023 and faced Balerdi twice, winning both times. When Lionel Messi celebrated 2-year anniversary of Argentina's World Cup triumphArgentina won the FIFA World Cup trophy on December 18, 2022, beating France in the final after a penalty shootout. It was a thrilling 3-3 draw before La Albiceleste, winning 4-2 on penalties.On December 18, 2024, Lionel Messi shared a post about the triumph on his Instagram account. He shared a picture of himself with the World Cup trophy, writing:"I love December and the Christmas season. Two years ago, it could have been a bitter final month of the year, but it ended up being the most beautiful one of my sports career. And now, every December, this memory comes back to me… Happy Second Anniversary to everyone!" View this post on Instagram Instagram PostLionel Messi scored a brace in the final against France, while Angel Di Maria scored for Argentina as well. Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick for Les Bleus but couldn't help his side get over the line.Messi, meanwhile, won the Golden Ball in the tournament with seven goals and three assists, while Mbappe won the Golden Boot with 10 goals.