Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi on Monday said that he would like to faceoff with Brazil, and that this week he will seek to beat this five time world champion for the first time.
"Do you know something? I never won against Brazil while playing on the national team. I lost in the finals of the America Cup in Venezuela... so it is time for the first time," Messi said in an interview published on Monday.
The Federation International of Football Association (FIFA) published an interview on Monday where Messi said that Argentina must win the America Cup 2011 "because it will be played at home, and that makes it twice as important for us to win the championship."
Messi said that his biggest rivals are, "Brazil, as always, and Uruguay, who played well in South Africa with Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan."
"I cannot forget Paraguay, which is a very uncomfortable team to play against due to its strength. Spain felt this at the World Cup. Then it will be Chile, but I do not know if Marcelo Bielsa's absence will affect them. They are a well-armed national team, dangerous rivals," Messi said.
However, Messi said that Brazil gives him a "special illusion."
Messi also said that if he does not win the Golden Ball award, given by FIFA, he would like Xavi or Iniesta to win it because "both are in all the pools and are great people, great players who deserve it more than anyone."