Harbhajan Singh poses with an effigy of Lionel Messi
Veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh will be seen cheering for star striker Lionel Messi when Argentina start their FIFA World Cup 2018 campaign, facing Iceland at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow on Saturday. (FIFA WORLD CUP 2018 SCHEDULE & RESULTS)
"Over the next one month I am gonna sleepless night for this man.. GO MESSI GO @TeamMessi @FIFAWorldCup #Argentina #Russia2018," Harbhajan said in a tweet.
Earlier, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who is a self-confessed football buff, said he wants to be captivated by Messi's artistry in Russia.
"I am looking forward to Messi magic. He's yet to win a World Cup. It's going to be a big World Cup for him," said Ganguly, who has plans to watch the World Cup final. (Read full story)
Argentina last won the FIFA World Cup in 1986 when legendary Diego Maradona single-handedly carried them to the title.
Maradona almost propelled his nation to a second consecutive World Cup title in 1990. But the Argentines fell at the final hurdle to the erstwhile West Germany, thanks to a second-half penalty many deem to be controversial.
Since then, the South American powerhouse have endured a lengthy series of heartbreaks at the World Cup, a lengthy wait which has now completed 32 years.
Their last major trophy came in 1993 when they won the Copa America. The Argentines will be keen to make up for the bitter disappointment of the 2014 World Cup when they were upstaged by the Germans in the final.
