‘Your wins are also for me’ – Ex-Manchester City and Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero wishes Lionel Messi and Argentina ahead of World Cup clash with Netherlands

Sergio Aguero has sent a touching message to Lionel Messi and the Argentina squad ahead of their World Cup quarter-final clash.

Messi and Argentina face the Netherlands on Friday for a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Both Aguero and Messi have enjoyed hugely successful careers since leaving their native South America for Europe at such a young age.

Having shared a dressing room on international duty for many years, Aguero may have been with his close friend at the World Cup aged 34, but a rare heart condition forced him into retirement.

Aguero, who has a huge following on his Twitch channel, spoke to Messi from the Argentina captain’s hotel room in Qatar.

“Your victories are also for me, I suffer a lot, but I really like watching you play and that you are so united,” said Aguero.

“I feel like I’m with you, it makes me very happy that everything is fine.

“Good luck Friday boys, whatever happens, you are freaks, I love you.”

Messi has made it clear that Aguero’s absence and presence since Argentine national time is felt.

“We miss you and Gio, both of you are always there,” Messi replied.

Messi, now 35, has made it clear that this will be his last World Cup, with the trophy being the only one he has yet to win in his glittering career.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has been one of Qatar’s standout World Cup performers so far with three goals, inspiring his side to victory against Australia last weekend.

The 2-1 win over the Socceroos was Messi’s 1,000th senior career appearance where he scored his 789th goal.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker hopes to get one step closer to the final, when he leads his team against the Netherlands, in what will be a repeat of the 1978 final, as well as other famous knockout matches from the World Cup in 1998 and 2014.