Robert Lewandowski is looking forward to facing Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The Barcelona striker’s country will play Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Mexico in Group C of the World Cup, which kicks off exactly one month from today and ends on December 18.
Lewandowski is particularly excited about the clash against the Paris Saint-Germain forward and the South American giants on November 30 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
“There’s not much to say when it comes to Argentina. They’re a huge team and one of the favourites to win the tournament in my opinion,” Lewandowski told FIFA in an interview published today.
“With an absolute legend like Leo Messi as their figurehead, there’s no doubt that’ll be our toughest match. It’ll be great to take on such a great side with such talented players.
“Mexico are a tough team who fight all the way to the final whistle and never give up. They have a combination of youth and experience, and we’re well aware that the Mexicans know how to play at major tournaments. It’ll be a big challenge for us.
“Saudi Arabia are a surprise package. We know they have a solid defence and good tactical awareness. They are very agile and capable of good build-up play, so it’ll be up to us to decide how we approach that game. I think we’ll go into the group with a positive attitude. We’ll play every match with smiles on our faces even if we know it will be very tough.”
Lewandowski, 34, is looking to advance beyond the group phase this time after Poland crashed out early in Russia four years ago.
“That was one of the biggest disappointments of my career, not only because we were eliminated from the World Cup after the group stage but mostly because we didn’t create any opportunities,” he noted.
“I didn’t have any chances, I didn’t score a single goal and that still hurts. Every time the team plays better, it makes life easier for all of us, but that was a failure both on my part and for the whole team. It was a huge disappointment.”
The former Bayern Munich star was in fine form during the qualifiers for Qatar 2022, scoring nine goals in nine matches as Poland squeezed through the playoffs.
He is happy to have led his country through the tough qualifying process to back-to-back World Cups.
“I’m definitely pleased to have scored so many goals in qualifying, but particularly because it meant we made it to the World Cup,” Lewandowski added.
“I know that every one of my goals can help my team to victory, so I’m really happy and proud to have achieved such impressive numbers.
“We scored plenty of goals in our qualifiers, and I even scored in the first game to earn us a point. The next few matches weren’t easy. It’s clear that playing style means nothing in qualifying – all that matters is that you win.
“I always go out on to the pitch looking to give everything and try and score a goal or create a chance, because I know my skills can make an impact. Every time we win, whether I’ve scored or not, I always think that we’ve achieved the most important thing of all. And if I score along the way, well, that’s perfect.”
