Is Lionel Messi retiring from the Argentina national team too early? ⏳ | ESPN FC Extra Time

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ESPN FC Extra Time: Is Messi retiring from Argentina too early and can Man City's charges galvanize them?

After some light-hearted chat, the panel debates several football topics: Frank Leboeuf backs Messi's decision to step away from Argentina now, Ale Moreno opposes another Copa América in the USA, and the crew discuss whether Manchester City's charges could unite the players. They close with a Start, Bench, Drop debate involving Pelé, Diego Maradona and Messi.

On ESPN FC Extra Time, Alexis Nunes is joined by Ale Moreno, Steve Nicol and Frank Leboeuf to answer your questions... 0:00 Frank Leboeuf icing his leg 1:20 Frank's humble brags 2:35 Stevie digitally removed from a photo 4:13 ...Ale was removed too! 6:21 Is Messi retiring from national team too early? 8:05 Copa America coming back to United States? 9:41 Will Man City players be galvanized by charges? 12:40 Favorite melodies that you remember 15:26 Start, Bench, Drop: Pele, Messi & Maradona 21:51 Alexis can't read the question! 22:17 1989 FWA Player of the Year ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN ESPNFC espnfcextratime fcextratime

Transcript

All right, welcome into Extra Time. Alexis Tuna is back with Stevie Nickel and Ali Moreno. We also have our Frankie Labou with us today. He's very fired up cuz he got mad at his boy Killian Mbappe. >> But I know, >> but people people don't understand. True professional today. True professional. >> He's playing injure. He's playing through an injury. He's not sitting this one out. You've been working through it. >> You've been icing your leg. We hear it rustling in the background. >> Yeah. You know, we had a tribute for Robert Perez and uh I had to step up and I had to play. So, I did what I had to do. I had a problem for like 3 months, but I played I didn't play a lot. I played like 15 20 minutes, but I was enough to uh to give my appreciation to Robert uh uh along like something like 80 people. We had three games with a former Arsenal player, former Mess player and and the allstar players that I was belonging to. Uh and uh and that was absolutely great and we won. We won in in goals differences. So that was great. Uh fantastic player, fantastic atmosphere for fantastic guy, uh a true star, but a true good man, Robert PZ. >> All right, that's about 10 name drops Frank has had today. Oh my days. All right, let's get into the first question. Frank's humble brags today. Jac Wenger and Bapeappe Hulit that Wow, that's true. Visa and Desai. Now you can add PZ. >> Why? It's not Visa. >> Oh, sorry. >> Am I missing somebody? I feel like there was more. >> He did throw in. >> He just did Robert Perez just now. >> Visa. >> I know. I was I was thinking now. >> Jack Hinganger. >> Oh, Frank Riberry hit me on my fibula today. Frank Rubberry. So you can I can now get enough space. Frank yeah who else I could name? I could I could name so many Patri I saw Patria and Cherri there's been a long time didn't see them and I was absolutely great because I we don't see them on the France 98 enough. So I pulled their ear and I say young guys we need to see you next time. So Chan promised me that he will be there. So hopefully he listened to me. But yeah I I love big names. and I had a chance to meet them and now I have Ali Moreno and Steve Steve Nichols Craig Bley Jugenman you know Num oh that's great as well >> there you go that's a good one all right let's get into the next question shall we [music] and this one is for Frank and Ali has anyone ever asked that you be digitally removed from a photo [laughter] >> okay are we answering the question or is there a reason as to why you're asking this Yeah, I know. I know that >> because Dan Thomas tweeted this out and he claims it is true because Stevie Nickel here posing with a family that obviously loves Liverpool, but apparently someone in the family, I'm assuming the Mrs. said, "If someone has a time, could you possibly remove [laughter] this? These are Liverpool fans. >> Could you possibly remove the man in the shirt from this photo and bring the family closer together? [laughter] Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. These are Liverpool fans, right? And they apparently not. >> And they requested to remove Stevie from the picture. >> Oh my days. >> Oh, come. I imagine that there's been some sort of reaction in on social media from >> There has been so many different reactions. Like this one is my favorite that you can see. [laughter] >> I know. >> I remember this one. >> Hey, this one is NO, I DON'T. >> OH, THAT'S NOT as bad. That's not as bad as the last one. >> Wait, what do you mean? I don't know. That uniform is a little tight on you. >> They gave you a bigger belly in this one. >> Look at this one. [laughter] >> This is my favorite one. Look at a wei there. >> Look at [laughter] we guy in the left. This Benjamin Button. >> He's just aging [laughter] backwards, but only heightwise. >> We Oh my days. Oh my days. >> Um, can I answer this question though? >> Yes. The answer is 100% yes. And it happened with one of our colleagues, >> Garcia. >> We were on the coverage. I believe it was last year's Eláico in Barcelona >> and we were doing a lot of hits together and you know Louise is very active on Instagram and he's always you know sharply dressed and there's a picture and the and the picture Yes. from different phones and the pictures have to be perfect. Well, I happen to be in the picture. He unilaterally decided that I did not look all that great in the picture. Did he? >> He removed me from the picture. [laughter] >> No, it gets better. >> Wow. >> He did not remove the chair that I was SITTING ON. THE CHAIRS DID. >> But he removed me from the picture. And then and then he told me about it. He's like, "Listen, you weren't looking too good in the picture, so I had to remove you so that then I can put it on social media." >> The chair made the cut. >> What? The chair made the cut. >> Made the cut. I did not imagine [music] how bad I must have looked that the chair stayed on. I did not. Louis Garcia did this. 100% this has happened to me. >> Wow. >> Frank, nobody's ever removed you from a photo, have they? >> No. No chance. >> No chance. Not our 98. >> Of course not. But even of course not. Even if sometimes and some pictures I would have loved to be absolutely vanished, you know. [laughter] >> Send us those pictures. I can do them for you. >> Okay, I will send them to you. But it's too it's it's too it's too late. It's too late now. It been been showed, you know, when I missed a tackle, when I was smiling badly, when I had something up my nose, you know, whatever. But that's too late. >> Apparently, I had all those things going on in the picture [laughter] with Garia because he removed he removed me. No issue, no problem. truly takes a lot to make the cut in a Luis Garcia photo to make it on his Instagram as well. So, >> I did not I would >> you you he said the chair can stay but you >> out. He [laughter] gone. >> All right. Next question. Is Messi retiring too early? Are Argentina favorites even without him for the Copa America? >> Oh, that's two in one. >> No and no. >> I think it's a good choice. You know what? You know what? I like people making their own choices. It's It's always hard to say bye-bye to something and especially when you are still [music] in a good in a good shape and is still there, but he feels it and your family, your friend, your wife maybe can tell you what do you think. You know, maybe it's time to It's always better to to to project envy than pity is what I feel. and uh and uh we we we we going to we going to miss Messi. That's where it's very uh smart for him to uh to to step out. >> And and Frank, just a quick question. Um right now, currently, do you project what uh envy or pity? >> For Ronaldo. >> Oh, for No, no, no, no. Frank. No, no, no, no, no. For Frank. Frank. I'm asking Frank cuz he he says he wants to project envy rather than pity. I'm saying where is he in his life right now? Does he project envy or pity? >> Well, I really hope that I will never show pity to myself [laughter] for for for to project, you know. So, don't worry guys, I'm okay. I don't need your pity. I'm good. Leave me alone. Never. >> I'm just saying you're injured right now, you know. >> Oh, yeah. We're concerned about you. >> You know what? Nobody cares about me. [laughter] >> Right. Next question, shall we? Al, have you seen the reports that the 2028 Copa America is going to be in the USA again? >> I wonder why. >> Are they Are they trolling me? Is this is this like >> Oh, I know you love this. >> I mean, look, I' i've made it very clear. I I've said it I don't know how many times and I guess that's why the questions keep coming up. So I'll keep answering the same thing and I'll answer the question with a question. Is anybody okay with moving the euros away from Europe? >> No they would. >> Would would would Spain and England and the Netherlands and Germany and whatever. Would they be okay with the Euros being played in the United States? [music] >> Absolutely not. >> No. So, you're asking a South American, a Venezuelan, if I'm okay with Copa America being outside of South America. [music] The oldest national team tournament, international tournament, South American tournament, and it's played outside of South America. Of course, I'm not okay with it. I don't like it. And I know why they're doing it, but I don't like it. >> Ali, can I ask you a question? Why? Why it's like that? Cuz in Europe, we don't understand. >> Stevie's giving you that big hint. >> All right. >> In a rich man's world. >> Hey, >> that's it. >> Now, it's it's it's a money grab, Frank. [music] That's exactly what it is. It's a money grab. >> Simple as that. >> Very sad. >> Very sad indeed. Right. Next question. Do you think the Man City players will be galvanized by the charges against the club? And will this bring them together? Will this be the extra motivation that will help them win the Premier League this season? >> Frank says absolutely not. >> Well, they don't care because it's not it's not what something that they they they experience. It's not something that they were um when he started when the charges started and when he when he happened most players I would say the majority of them if it's not all of them they weren't there so they don't feel uh the the the maybe the the the the guilt of it to to express something. They're just going to play because they signed a contract. If it goes well it goes well. If it doesn't goes well they're going to sign to another club. Look, in an ideal world, this uh question would make a whole lot of sense in that the players will rally around it and say, "Well, the world is against us, so we'll show them." >> But as whenever the punishment comes out and whatever the degree of that punishment is, assuming that say for example, they're no longer in the Premier League that they're going somewhere else. Huh? Um, if you're a player, that's this whole galvanizing. You start going, um, wait a minute. Um, you're grabbing that, you're grabbing that phone and you're talking to your agent and let's take care of number one. You're no longer galvanizing together. >> The whole speeches of we should stick together like Erling Holland said. >> Yeah. That that that all lasts up until you see the fine print in your contract and go, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait a minute. Can can I get out? Can we get out? Nobody who's right now currently at Manchester City is looking forward to playing in the championship or whatever is it that they end up playing. Um so if indeed that's the punishment, this galvanizing together has an expiration date. >> They are in for a shock when they turn up. They're going to get down break road and then realize [music] >> I wasn't expecting this. the atmosphere is going to be, you know, when Manchester City over the last six, [music] seven years go to Anfield. There's a there has been a respect >> Mhm. >> because the because of the players they have, because of what they've won, because they're a good team. There's always been there's always been a respect there. >> That has absolutely gone gone. As soon as they turn around break road and there's a there'll [music] be tens of thousands of people waiting for them, they're going to wonder what's hit them. >> And when that foot and that whistle goes at Anfield on Saturday as well, the whole place is [music] going to be on top of them. So they're in for a shock. And if they're not galvanized, they're in big trouble. >> I think there's going to be a lot of clubs fans this season that will be reminding them all the way to the bitter end. [music] Next question. Stevie, given the beautiful melodies the Copend is likely to produce this weekend, is there one that particularly remains with you from your playing days? >> You know, obviously the You'll Never Walk Alone and >> all the other songs that that that have been sung for years and years, but my favorite I always think about that I enjoyed and I thought was funny while the game's going on. I'm actually smiling and I think I might mention it before on here is we had a player called Ronny Rosenal from Israel [music] >> and this it came on the first game and then the second game he came on and between the first and the second game I don't know how we all got together but the whole stadium started singing And everybody at the same time went, "Hey." [laughter] And then >> the second time you did it was a little bit faster. >> I just kept going. Then went, "Hey." And then the next time was a little I did it about four times and it got faster and faster and faster. >> And while you were playing, you're just >> playing I'm running. I had a big smile in me. I'm like, "This is brilliant. It was fantastic." >> Frank, any songs you loved? Uh when I was at Chelsea before we played the FA final in 97 uh we we went with the singer of the band Madness. We went to record a song and uh and the song was Chelsea Chelsea Chelsea Chelsea. It's going to be a blue day. That was insane. We loved it and the fans they learned the all the lyrics very quickly and it became our song. And every time I heard that and you you know what uh it's crazy but one game I was at Stanford Bridge and I was working a long time ago with Kevin Keegan uh for ESPN already. I think it was around 2010 or 20 I don't remember and we are Stford Bridge on the touch line and and Kevin was laughing with me and teasing me and he was singing the song Chelsea Chelsea uh with a with a Chelsea fan. I say that guy is unbelievable. The guy we I just have a legend with me called a Liverpool legend. Uh and and and the guy is singing Chelsea Chelsea just to have fun with the with the fans. That was insane. I would remember that for for until my last breath. >> We can add Kevin Keegan to the list. >> I know 100%. And I don't I don't know whether the lead singer of the band Menace also makes a show, but >> might as well. He got a little he got an honorable mention. >> I think we're about to 11 name drops >> just for you. At least at least >> at least 11. Next question. Which was the next question? Oh, I lost my thoughts. Anyways, that happens on hood. Yesterday, Don said this was the rudest question of all time. And since sharing is caring, all of you should share your answer to this question. Start, bench, and drop. Pelle, Maradona, and Messi. Good luck. >> Yeah. >> Easy. >> Oh, easy. Brian, go off. >> Pelle, Messi, and Maradona. Okay. So, you're starting Pelle, you're benching Maradona, you're dropping Messi. >> No, I've dropped Maradona. I uh I bench Messi. No, no, no. I wasn't a fan of Maradona for many reasons, not only the football player, but for for but I love Pelle. Pelle was capable of doing everything. Uh and and I had the chance to see Messi playing and um and the guy is just a magician as well. and uh and he was delivering for the others as well. Maradona, it was about him and what he was capable of doing. Talented, great, crazy, great player, but it was about how he could take on, how he could dribble, how he could kick free kicks and and the technique that he had. But I love the football because of the collectic aspect of the game. and Pelle was the guy who was capable of delivering uh crazy passes and assist and Messi as well. >> All right, so Maradona gets a drop from Frank. What about you guys? >> I always find it hard to separate Maradona and Messi. >> You know, [music] I think could Maradona play today? Could Maradona play in the era that Messi played in? You bet your bottom dollar. Could Messi play when Maradona played? >> Not a chance. >> No. >> And Ple and the only reason the only reason I'm going to go Maradona, Messi, and then Ple is that P started in an era where yes, he was on a different planet like the other [music] two, >> but he would play against a lot of players that weren't particularly professional. [music] you know, and he did play most of his career in Brazil. Messi because the way the game changed and because the way [music] the refereeing and everything else, I mean, it was just scary. [music] But when Maradona played, I mean, it was grievous bodily harm. He had to jump four school foot to get out the way out the way of challenges >> of which if he did get caught. >> He probably got a foul and that was about it. >> I mean the the era he played in on the field compared to today was just violent. >> Mhm. >> But yet he produced all the things he produced. And actually all the teams he played with and all the all the players he played with, they all looked at him the way that Argentina looked at Messi. Like the Napoli team >> Mhm. Oh yeah. >> They all looked at Maradona the way that that Messi's looked at with the Argentina teams. And well, I guess they're both similar. You know, every team they've played in, they have been the focal point. Everybody plays for them. [music] They want to play for them. and they give as much back to the other 10 players as those 10 give to him. [music] So unfortunately that's why I've got P at third as fantastic and brilliant as he was. And I'm going to go with Maradona [music] with Messi in second place. I >> I have a difficult time with Pelle because I did not watch >> Yeah. >> Pelle play. I was not around >> and um and so all you see is the videos and all you see is the highlights and of course you can appreciate the greatness of the player but you don't know really the dayto-day of that time and and that moment in time. So it's difficult for me to make an assessment on the player. As for Maralona, no player in the history of mankind, no player in the world has had a better moment in time than Diego Maradona had in the 1986 World Cup. >> Nobody has played this game at a higher level than what Maradalona played in that World Cup. Regardless of what you may think of him, the the the personality, what what he was off the field, on the field, in that moment in time, nobody has been better. [music] But then there is a question of longevity and there is a question of productivity. And it's really difficult to look away from Lonel Messi. When the question asked to separate Maradona and Messi was always well Maradona deliver a World Cup for Argentina. Messi never did that until he did that. >> He did. >> And you think about the period of time in which Lionel Messi was at the top of [music] the world and the level of productivity, the longevity, the consistency. I'm I've always been a Maradala guy, but I cannot deny Leonel Messi any longer. I he has made case after case after case and perhaps for me anyways his most impressive case [music] was in a non-winning effort which was this past World Cup >> that at his age he was still the guy carrying Argentina he needed help but he was still the one providing the momental magic he still has that in his game so [music] look a moment in time you give me Maradalona of 86 for a whole career. I'll take Messi, [music] Maradona, and then Pelle. >> And for Pelle, it's just I I I just don't know enough. I I haven't seen enough. I don't know enough. >> Yeah, I'm with you. I saw a video when he was they were showing, you know, that what Maro Dona was capable of doing in time of dribbing and everything that in fact he created everything and the the others were just copying. But you know what? Why Marad Pelle couldn't only played in Brazil? Because he was declared a treasury of the country. So he wasn't allowed to get out. That was made especially for him for him to not leave the country. That's that's that says a lot about the player. >> I agree. [laughter] >> Are you okay over there? >> That's what happened. What? >> Go on. I'll ask I'll ask them. [laughter] >> Something's tickled you. Someone tickled you. >> What happened? What happened? >> I do not know what happened. I thought you were making a very [laughter] prank. >> Okay, go ahead. >> Oh, I can't believe I picked it up now. Stevie, yesterday Dawn did his all-time best, but let off >> the 1989 football writers award player of the year. That's surely an