German midfielder Mario Götze, probably the reason for Lionel Messi not having two FIFA World Cups under his belt, was supporting Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. Götze’s video of celebrating Messi’s win with his kid went viral on social media.
He had said this about supporting La Albiceleste: “I was watching the final and I was supporting Argentina for the country and obviously for Messi. I wanted them to win, I watched it with some friends. I was happy that they won the cup. My son was with me and we had a great time.”
Mario Götze: “I was watching the final and I was supporting Argentina for the country and obviously for Messi. I wanted them to win. I watched it with some friends. I was happy that they won the cup. My son was with me and we had a great time.” @tntsportsmex @juegosimple__ 🗣️🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/5s8BkzsIZW
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) February 20, 2023
Götze was subbed in the 88th minute in the 2014 World Cup final. He scored the only goal of the game in the 113th minute which helped Germany lift the World Cup. However, his career trajectory has not been that great since. Mainly, internationally, he played in the UEFA Euro 2016, but then there was a five-year hiatus before he was named again to the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.
In 2014, Götze was playing for Bayern Munich, he joined the German champions in 2013. Two years later, he moved back to Borussia Dortmund. He joined PSV on a free transfer in October 2020 and now plays for Eintracht Frankfurt after joining the German team in the summer of 2022.
Mario Götze was once known as the ‘German Lionel Messi’
Götze was labeled as the German Lionel Messi when he came into the limelight during his early days at Dortmund. At a very young age, Götze never looked pressured. He fit into Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund very skillfully and helped them win the Bundesliga twice in 2010/11 and in 2011/12. Bayern Munich has been winning the Bundesliga since then.
In 2010/11, at just 18-years old, Mario Götze played a vital role in Borussia Dortmund winning Bundesliga under Jürgen Klopp with 17 goal contributions in 28.1 90s. In 2014, he scored the winner in the World Cup Final.
In 2020, he is being released on a free before he’s 28. pic.twitter.com/WQFz7jPmcA
— UtdArena (@UtdArena) May 26, 2020
Mathias Sammer, a Champions League winner with Dortmund, who later became the German FA’s technical director, famously called Götze “one of the best talents we’ve ever had.”
Götze’s manager pleaded to the media to not hype up the youngster too much. However, the newspaper Neue Ruhr Zeitung couldn’t contain itself, stating: “He is not just the talent of the century, he is a white Brazilian.”
In the end, however, for a German soccer player, praise from only one man matters, Franz Beckenbauer. The German legend said: “It is not possible to stop Mario Götze. He has the same assets as Messi.”
“There is no one playing better than him. He runs through opponents as though they aren’t there. He is an instinctive footballer, just like Messi.”
This is where his nickname came to be. Since this statement by Beckenbauer, Götze came to be known as the German Lionel Messi.