Lionel Messi said Argentina "didn't deserve to go out in the first round" as he and his teammates barely escaped elimination at the World Cup with a late 2-1 win over Nigeria on Tuesday.
Messi scored Argentina's opener, but a second-half Nigeria penalty meant they were staring at the exit door until Marcos Rojo volleyed home the winner in the 86th minute.
Following an opening draw with Iceland and a 3-0 defeat to Croatia, the pressure on Messi and Argentina was clear, but he said the players still believed they would prevail.
"It was an amazing way to qualify," Messi told TyC Sports after the game. "We didn't deserve to go out in the first round, so we're all very happy.
"We knew we were going to win, but we hadn't expected it to be as tough as it was."
The tests for Argentina will only get harder from here as the Albiceleste will face 1998 champions France in the round of 16 on Friday, and Messi was hoping for a fresh start.
"Our World Cup begins today," the superstar said. "We had to win any way we could, and from today this needs to be a new World Cup for us."
Source: espn.co.uk