Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has jumped to the defence of Argentina captain Lionel Messi after his World Cup final performance.
Barcelona star Messi was powerless to prevent Argentina going down to a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Germany.
But Mourinho said: "He sacrificed himself for the good of the team.
"He was more focused on winning the tournament than being its best player.
"I saw him playing in areas of the pitch where he doesn't usually play. He dropped deep and picked up the ball a long way from the opposition's goal.
"Messi has my utmost respect for what he did at the World Cup.
"Playing football for your country is different to playing for your club. If he'd wanted to show just how good he is he'd have played tucked in behind Higuain, waiting for that moment to change the game."
