Former La Albiceleste boss Gerardo Martino did not hold back regarding his intention to eliminate the team led by Lionel Messi in his last World Cup.

The game between Mexico and the Argentine national team has turned into a matter of life and death for both national teams. To make matters even more interesting, one of Argentina's former coaches could be responsible for eliminating La Albiceleste if things go his way.

The man in question is none other than Gerardo "Tata" Martino, who admitted that his team might draw some inspiration from the tournament's surprises like Saudi Arabia, Japan, or the Canadian side to try and defeat Argentina for the first time in a World Cup match, speaking for Mexico's record.

"Why not think about it? We just saw Belgium and Canada and, judging by what I saw, it was a massive performance by Canada during the first half. Why not try that? The 'big differences' between them went out the window during the game. We can inspire ourselves by that, and then we might see what type of game we need to play against them," Martino told the press.

Martino admitted that the scenario for this game is nowhere near where everyone planned it to be when these teams were paired up together, which means that all strategies might change before the macth begins.

"I am not unaware of the relevance this game will have for both Mexico and Argentina, and how the future of these teams in the tournament will be decided by the outcome of this match. When the draw took place, we never pictured a scenario as the one we will face tomorrow, but our main goal will always be to see Mexico come out on top," the former Argentina coach added.

The coach went on to speak about Lionel Messi and how the team may not bother with special plans to try and stop the footballer.

"Those who have faced Lionel in the past will tell you the same. Stopping him will only be possible if he is not 100% comfortable on the pitch or if he is not on one of his best days. There's almost nothing we can do about that, we have to go out there thinking that Messi will be on one of his best versions and try to do everything in our power to stop him," Martino concluded.

Mexico and Argentina will lock horns in a World Cup clash for the fourth time in history. The last three games have ended with La Albiceleste winning the game, but Mexico seem confident enough to change history on Saturday evening.