“If I want a son-in-law, I want Messi. If I want a father-in-law, I want Messi” - Ex-River Plate coach hails Lionel Messi with hilarious claim

Former River Plate head coach Nestor Gorosito has made a hilarious claim about Lionel Messi. He said that he would want the Inter Miami superstar to be his family members and friends.

Many regard Lionel Messi as the greatest player of all time and, hence, also the greatest Argentine player of all time. He has helped them win the FIFA World Cup trophy and two Copa America trophies. He has scored 115 goals and provided 64 assists in 196 games across competitions for La Albiceleste.

Néstor Gorosito, aka Pipo Garasito, spoke about Messi during an interview with ESPN Argentina, where he said (h/t All About Argentina):

“If I want a son-in-law, I want Messi. If I want a father-in-law, I want Messi. If I want a brother, I want Messi. If I want a friend, I want Messi.”

Gorosito also claimed once that he would pay millions to coach Lionel Messi. In an interview with ESPN in November 2023, he said (h/t TN Sporty):

“Messi is all that is right for me. I always talk the same thing about him. It is perfection as an athlete, as a soccer player.”

When the reporter asked Gorosito if the then-Inter Miami head coach, Tata Martino, had left and he was asked to coach the team, he answered:

“Up to two million dollars per month payment.”

Nestor Gorosito, meanwhile, managed multiple Argentine clubs like River Plate and Argentinos Juniors.

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Lionel Messi opens up about featuring at 2026 FIFA World Cup

Argentina are set to attempt to defend their World Cup title at the 2026 edition next year in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The big talking point, however, is speculation about Lionel Messi's future. The former Barcelona superstar hasn't confirmed his participation in the tournament yet.

In a recent interview, he said:

“I hope I can be there. I’ve said before that I’d love to be there. At worst, I’ll be there watching it live, but it will be special."

When asked about La Albiceleste's chances of defending their title, Lionel Messi added:

“The truth is we have extraordinary players, and it’s been shown for years - especially the desire and excitement since [Lionel] Scaloni took over. The mentality everyone has. It’s a squad full of winners, with strong mindsets, who want to win more, and that’s contagious. You see it in training, in matches."

"You see them train, and they give everything. We’re an amazing group that gets along very well, but in training matches or certain drills, if they have to go hard, they go hard. Everyone gives their all, and that’s a huge strength of this group and this national team.”

Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball in the 2022 World Cup, as Argentina beat France in the final on penalties.