Argentina defender Marcos Rojo wants to taste what it is like to win a World Cup this time and erase the sour memory of losing to Germany in extra-time in the 2014 edition © AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI
LONDON, United Kingdom, Jun 5 – Marcos Rojo wants to feel like what it is to win a World Cup rather than the agony he experienced for Argentina when they lost to Germany 1-0 after extra-time in 2014, he said on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old Manchester United defender, who has over 50 caps to his name, told Inside United hopefully Argentina would perform better than they did in sneaking through in qualifying.
Rojo — who signed a new contract with United in March this year which will keep him at the club till 2021 — will face Nigeria in the group stage, a side he scored his first international goal against in the 2014 finals.
“Obviously, it’s a really important thing and a big deal for any Argentinian to wear that shirt,” he said.
“We really feel the shirt a lot and we defend our colours.
“We give everything when we are wearing it and we want payback for the way things happened at the last World Cup.
“We will do everything to give our fans the possibility to celebrate winning the trophy again.”
Rojo, who joined United in 2014 for £16 million from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon, said much would depend on their superstar Lionel Messi.
Messi has won everything at club level with Barcelona but is still without a Copa America or World Cup winners medal having finished on the losing side in three Copa finals and in the 2014 World Cup final.
“I think it’s three or four times now we’ve been drawn with Nigeria and it will be a difficult group,” said Rojo.
“Croatia and Iceland are in there too. Hopefully, Lionel Messi will be in form and can do something for us.”
The two-time World Cup winners play their final pre-World Cup match against Israel this Saturday with their campaign kicking-off against Euro 2016 quarter-finalists Iceland on Saturday June 16.
