Kanizia's emotional tone on a rainy afternoon, 'One day Bangladesh will also play in the World Cup'

Late afternoon drizzle at Fortis Downtown Resort. Under the smell of wet green grass and the cloudy sky, a football fairy tale of three decades ago suddenly returned. The hero of that fairy tale - Argentine 'flying winger' Claudio Canizia. His golden hair flying in the wind, the speed of the World Cup in the 90s and the memories of the goals made the final afternoon of the Dhaka Interschool Champions League instantly different.

‎This Argentinian legend gave hope to Bangladeshi football fans on a rainy afternoon. His voice showed his belief in Bangladesh football, 'It is always difficult to get a place in the World Cup. But I hope, Bangladesh will do better than before and move forward. There are now 48 teams playing in the World Cup. Maybe more teams will play in the future. As a result, opportunities may be created in front of Bangladesh. I believe, Bangladesh will also play in the World Cup one day.

Canizia came to Bangladesh to hand over the trophy to the winners of the Dhaka Interschool Champions League final. However, he did not see the entire match due to rain. Navy College defeated Bangladesh International Tutorial (BIT) in the final to win the title.

Looking at the young footballers in schools and colleges, his voice had the advice of a parent. He did not hide his regret of not being able to watch the match. He said, 'Football is not just a game of luck. It is an equation of strict discipline, proper preparation and mental toughness. There are no shortcuts - listen to the coach, believe in yourself and give your best every day.'

The 1990 Italy World Cup comes to mind for soccer lovers when they utter the name Canizia. Diego Maradona's brilliant pass against Brazil, followed by Canizia's perfect finish—one of the most memorable moments in Argentina's World Cup history.

Maradona is in one of the brightest chapters of Canizia's career, scoring 16 goals in 50 internationals for Argentina. He became a bit emotional when talking about that friend, 'Diego was my friend. We Argentinians miss him a lot. We have played together for many years in the national team. I was a bit younger than him, so I grew up watching him. Playing with him at Boca Juniors was also a great experience.

His famous kiss with Maradona also comes up. "That famous kiss was actually very natural," Canizia said with a laugh. He wanted to, we did. There was nothing else in it. It was a friendly kiss between two friends.'

Later in the press conference, Canizia also spoke about the gossip of the people of Bangladesh about Argentina and Brazil, 'I know since 1986, the people of Bangladesh follow Argentina and Brazil. It is a great pleasure for me to come to Bangladesh for the first time and get the opportunity to see people's love up close.'

The craze about Argentina in Bangladesh that fascinated him, he also said, 'Argentina has supporters in different parts of the world; But so much passion and love like the people of Bangladesh can be seen in very few places.

On the question of whether Lionel Messi will be seen in the 2030 World Cup or not, Canizia did not completely rule out the possibility, "It will be difficult for Messi to play in the 2030 World Cup." I don't think he will play. Players who can always run alongside such players are needed. He is a football genius. So he can do it if he wants. But whether he wants to or not, whether he wants to play or not—that is the issue. But he can definitely do it if he wants.