Palmeiras Midfielder: Messi is an idol who has always been imitating and knows the importance of qualifying first in the group

Football     2:18pm, 20 June 2025
In the second round of the Club World Cup group stage, Palmeiras 2-0 Cairo Nationals. After the game, Palmeiras midfielder Mauricio was interviewed.

Midfielder Mauricio said: "We played a very good game, and in the second half, we managed to control the situation and dominated the game more. I am very happy that I played a wonderful game, not just me, but my team. It was a very important 3 points."

For the opponent Messi in the next game, Mauricio said: "No need to say much about Messi. He is a player with an incredible level and has been the best player in the world many times."

"He is an idol I've been trying to follow, and although it's very difficult to imitate a player of his level. He's an outstanding player, but he also has a team behind him, so we have to pay close attention and dig into them."

"We know the importance of qualifying first in the group, but once you get into an event like this, you can't choose your opponent or wait for a weaker team to arrive. The best teams in the world are the world's best, so we have to be prepared to deal with everything."