He shone with Maradona and played with Messi, now he's dedicated to driving tractors

Lionel Messi and Diego Armando Maradona are, indisputably, the two greatest historical exponents of Argentine soccer and having played alongside one of them is a privilege that only a few were able to enjoy. However, there is an exclusive list of players who were able to share the playing field with the two.

The aforementioned list has only one goalkeeper and the fate of the latter is currently completely removed from football. On the contrary, today he spends his days in his field located in Santa Fe and occupies his hours above machinery designed for the production of wheat and soybeans. As he recounted in dialogue with Clarín, it had always been his dream to have one of his, and after his successful time as a footballer he achieved it.

This is Roberto Abbondanzieri. "Pato" is one of the most outstanding goalkeepers in the history of Boca Juniors and also defended the goal of the Argentine team in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. With "Xeneize", the man born in Bouquet won a total of 14 titles, among which three Copa Libertadores and two Intercontinental Cups stand out. An enviable career that he ended on December 18, 2010 after his stay at Internacional de Porto Alegre. Yes, exactly 12 years before the consecration of the Argentine team in Qatar 2022.

When did Abbondanzieri play with Messi and Maradona?

"Pato" arrived at Boca Juniors in 1997 and shared a dressing room with Diego for a few months, until "Pelusa" hung up his boots in October of that same year. Years later, he began to coincide with Lionel in the calls to the Argentine team and together they came to play Qualifiers, Copa América and even a World Cup.