Zamorano: 'If Messi was Chilean, he'd have monuments all over the country'

At the 1998 World Cup, Marcelo Salas and Ivan Zamorano were backed up by an outstanding playmaker in Jose Luis Sierra. Between the three players, Chile boasted enough individual talent to overcome a lack of collective identity and reach the knockout stage.

Times have changed. Due to the work of his predecessors, Juan Antonio Pizzi inherited a national team possessing individual talent as well as a collective identity. It's a blend that resulted in Chile winning the 2015 Copa America and defending its crown at the Copa America Centenario. Meanwhile, Argentina is in the midst of a trophy drought that stands at 24 years and counting, unable to get the most out of Lionel Messi, who is scapegoated rather than applauded in many instances.

But, in Zamorano's opinion, the perception of Messi would be very different had he been born in Chile.

"If Messi was Chilean, he would have monuments all over the country and he would tire of receiving tributes," Zamorano declared on Super Deportivo Radio, according to Marca. "In Chile it's valued.

"The Argentinians take into account the differences between Messi of Barcelona and Messi of the national team. In Spain he looks to one side and there's Neymar, looks to the other and there's (Luis) Suarez, looks behind and there's (Sergio) Busquets. That's why you have to analyse everything that's happening to him. I think they should value the best in the world. It's necessary to value the effort put in by Messi, who plays between 70 and 80 games per year and who, nevertheless, comes to play for the national team."

On Thursday, in a rematch of the finals from the 2015 Copa America and the Copa America Centenario, Chile and Argentina will meet in a high-stakes 2018 World Cup qualifier at El Monumental. It will be a chance for La Albiceleste to exact revenge after twice falling to its neighbour in a penalty shootout, but, as only one point separates the two national teams as they fight for an automatic qualifying slot, vengeance is secondary.

"It will be a game in which both are thinking about the World Cup of Russia 2018," Zamorano stated. "It seems to me that if Chile loses, the team will have to win everything that remains. It's an important game, not life or death. It must be known that the Argentinians are very eager to beat us."

Chile is fourth in CONMEBOL's 2018 World Cup qualifying, while Argentina is fifth. Only four national teams from South America qualify automatically.