Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli makes 1 shocking revelation about Lionel Messi and the squad ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia

- Barcelona star Lionel Messi will be instrumental to Argentina's World Cup successful campaign in Russia this summer

- The 30-year-old scored three goals in their last qualifying series to book a ticket to the 2018 edition of the championship

- Meanwhile, the south American side will battle Nigeria, Iceland and Croatia in the group stage of the championship

Argentina head coach Jorge Sampaoli has branded his team as the ‘Lionel Messi’s team’ as they prepare for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia this summer.

They Barcelona superstar scored three times to ensure his side make it through to the finals of this year’s edition of the championship.

Messi led his team to the final of the 2014 edition in Brazil but failed to lift the title following their 1-0 defeat to Germany courtesy of Mario Gotze’s extra minutes strike.

The 30-year-old has also failed to win the last two Copa America titles, after losing to Chile on both occasion in 2015 and 2016.

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Argentina will continue their preparations towards this global tournament by facing Italy in Manchester on Friday, March 23, and Sampaoli has confirmed his team will be built around the five-time ballon d’Or winner.

"Each time he plays better," Sampaoli told reporters. "For me this is the headline: This is Messi's team.

"Teams reflect inside the pitch. In my case, I think much more about the opposite goal than in our goal.

"To have the best in the world on the pitch generates different themes to develop regarding the main idea of management.

"We have to see, within the format that we use, which players can connect better with Messi.

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"As Messi is central to the planning that we make, we give him a decisive importance in training, in the preparation and regarding the connections that Messi can establish with every single player, close to him or far from him.

"The magnetism of Leo here and in his club allows us to lead from a different place. That's what I really feel I have to do in terms of what he generates in relation to all his team-mates."

However, Messi’s Argentina will battle familiar foe, Nigeria, Iceland and Croatia in Russia this year.

Both sides have played five competitive games in the past, and the south American side have won four out of the five, while the only draw the Super Eagles have recorded was in the FIFA Confederation Cup in 1995.

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Source: Naija.ng