“How do you feel after this qualification in the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the 1000th game of your career?
I learned today that it was my 1000th game, I didn’t know it. I take advantage of these moments, I fully live everything that we are going through, and I am very happy to have taken this small step closer to our goal. It was a very difficult match, and we knew it. We had played only three days earlier and we didn’t have much time to rest. We were a little worried about that, but we held on even though we suffered at the end. Now, a new complicated match awaits us. They will try not to leave the ball to us. But it’s the World Cup, the matches are going to get tougher and tougher.
“The atmosphere was superb, we feel the love for the selection”
How did you feel at the end of the match, when celebrating the victory with your supporters, who were very numerous in the stadium?
It is incredible emotions to be able to share this happiness with them. They are there for every game, they encourage us all the time and we know that the people in Argentina are also behind us, even if they couldn’t all come. The atmosphere was superb, we feel the love for the selection. We had only had three days of rest but we were very enthusiastic to play in front of such an audience, because they give us energy. It’s incredible.
You live this World Cup with your family accompanying you. It’s particular ?
Yes, from the beginning to the end of the matches, they are always there for me and I think of them, I know that they suffer when we suffer and that they are happy with us. During the Copa America, the children were still a little young, not yet aware of what a World Cup was. There, they can live it, see it from the inside, they are very happy and, for me, it’s something very strong. »