Diego Simeone and Leo Messi are two of the personalities most celebrated in Argentina. Although the coach and player don't have a relationship beyond their encounters on the football pitch, they have mutual respect for each other.

The coach showed that again on Friday when he spoke about Messi, who hit a hat-trick to send Argentina to the World Cup in a 3-1 win over Ecuador.

"I stayed up to watch the game, I watched it calmly, I know that it was going to be resolved the right way," said Simeone, despite Ecuador scoring in the first minute.

On Messi he said: "He had that night that all Argentines wanted and asked him for, for those who don't believe in him he showed that he is the best in the world."