Leo Messi: The World Cup is in my head but I have important things to do first...

In an interview with America TV, Lionel Messi spoke about the World Cup coming up in Russia. "It gets nearer and nearer, the head is there but here I have important things to do first. It's impressive, I see that people that tell me to be a champion, but I try to live day to day.

"The best you can do to forget everything is be with my children, wife, family. The rest is secondary. The arrival of my first son made me not just close myself off with football. I don't like to lose, to draw, but I take it differently. It's more than a result, sometimes you can't always win, there are surprises, you can't always win and once it's over there are other things.

"I talk about everything that happens with my family, my brothers. They are always there and I tell them everything.

"I'm imagining that I can be at this final (World Cup), winning it, lifting the cup, it's a dream I've had since forever and the closer the World Cup comes, the stronger it is. For the disappointment of 2014, we know how hard it is, and to be so close was painful. It's what we all want, to win the World Cup, us, the family. I hope that the whole country does."